Giving Me A Chance
by Scardie Kat
Summary: Dean didn't trust witches, everyone knew that. So when Natalie stumbled into the lives of the Winchesters, he was unprepared for the changes that would come with having her around bunker. Dean/OC
1. Chapter 1

So this story came to me while I was binge watching Supernatural season 10. It's going to follow the season closely, but I plan on taking some liberties. The title comes from a Gotye song by the same name that I sadly find myself listening to for hours.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing...

A/N- This chapter is going to follow 10x07 _Girls, Girls, Girls_ and flow into 10x08 _Hibbing 911_. I hope everyone enjoys the first chapter. Let me know what you think!

 **Giving Me A Chance**

Natalie didn't think of herself as someone of any importance. She was an only child of a drunk cosmetologist and cheating car salesman. By nineteen she had a steady waitressing gig at a local dive bar and two classes a semester at the community college. Ten years later she realized, she should have taken the loans and gone off to some fancy college to get an expensive degree and far away from the Midwest. If she'd done that then maybe she wouldn't be living like a black cat cooped up in a warded bunker and working on life number three.

If Natalie Tate had become something more than a bartender dabbling in magic, she never would have met Sam and Dean Winchester. If she never met the Winchesters than she wouldn't be hiding under her bed as her body began to go into shock from blood loss and just plain exhaustion.

"Come on, Nat." Dean's voice boomed from the hallway.

Clenching her jaw, Natalie pulled her hand away from the oozing wound at her side as she waited for the echo of his heavy boots getting closer to the bedroom before she once again tried to put a containment spell on her door.

"I just want to talk, Natalie. Come on out, sweetheart."

A whimper escaped her lips as he reached her door and tried the handle. A blackness began to creep across her vision as she focused all her energy on holding the spell in place and blocking out the warm pool quickly saturating her torso.

"You really think some bitchcraft is keeping me out of there? How much juice you got left? I can go all night, sweetheart and you know it." She physically jolted as he threw his body against the wood.

"Cas, if you can hear me…I'm not gonna make it much longer." Natalie began to pray. "Do me a favor… let me go this time? I don't care how much he begs when you guys get him out of this. It might even kill him, and I'm sorry to leave you and Sam to deal with that, but I can't live like this. I'm not strong enough, never was."

 ** _~SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER~_**

"Natalie Tate?" A man's voice called from down the bar. Natalie tried to keep her eyes from rolling, but she wasn't always good at controlling her actions. Especially after working six days in a row, and the last two being doubles.

"What can I do for you, tiger?" She asked as she slid a pitcher of beer to a group of frat guys. "Beer, whiskey, or something stronger?"

"Beer and a little something extra." He says. "My name's Cole. I hear you can help me find someone."

This time she allowed her annoyance to show through. She rolled her eyes as she flipped the cap off a bottle. Her eyes surveyed the bar before she moved towards him and placed the bottle down on the counter in front of him.

"Four dollars for the beer, one fifty for the location." She smiled, "I'll need something of theirs."

"I've got a name." Cole said taking the beer.

"Even better. Meet me in the store room on the left in thirty minutes."

By the time Natalie made it to the back room she had beer spilled down one leg of her jeans, sweat sticking to her cut off t-shirt and her straw blonde hair was a bird's nest on top of her head. She flung the door open to see Cole pacing the small space. She ignored him, instead spreading a large map on a table and pulling out a candle.

"Money first," she outstretched a hand towards him.

"No way, darling. You kept me waiting for two hours. Get me a location first." He said finally coming to a stop. "Dean Winchester."

Natalie huffed out a laugh as she leans on the table. "I'm sorry my day job got in the way of your man hunt. Money first, that's how this works."

He reached behind him and Natalie jumped back as he leveled a gun at her. "The location, darling."

"You do realize I'm a witch, right?" She sighed moving to the table.

"A bullet through the chest will still hurt like a bitch."

Taking in a deep breath she picked up the black candle. "Dean Winchester?" She double checked with the confirmation from Cole she lit the candle and waited for the wax to melt. In a hushed whisper she repeats the name continuously as she drizzled the wax across the map. Cole watched as it moved across the paper with a mind of its own, until it finally pooled in one place. Natalie blew on the liquid before turning to him.

"Well," Cole asked. Natalie rolled her eyes again as she peeled the wax from the map.

"Missouri." She said pointing at the still warm spot on the large map.

Cole moved forward, only lowering the gun slightly. He looked at the map then back up at her. "Where?"

"Come on man, I can get you within 100 miles."

"I want a street." He demanded.

"That's impossible. Not without me having a map that large of the state and if he's mobile…?" Natalie laughed. "Like I said, impossible."

"I'm sorry," he said before throwing an elbow and catching her in the side of the face.

SPN*spn*SPN

It's just after sunrise when Natalie fought back to consciousness. Her head was pounding like a bad hangover. Slowly she realized she was moving and her body spiked with adrenaline. "Son of a bitch." She groaned.

"Morning, darling." Cole smirked from the driver's side of the jeep.

"What the hell? Where are we?" Natalie asked as she took in her surroundings.

"Few miles from Missouri."

"You kidnapped me? You've got to be new to the game." It's then that she realized her hands were tied. "You're not a hunter."

"Soldier."

"Okay and this guy we're going after, Dean? What'd he do to you?"

"Killed my father." He glanced over at her. "He's a demon."

"No, nope." Natalie said tugging at her restraints as panic began to set in. "I don't do demons, monsters, any of that nightmare shit. I'm a regular girl who can barely use magic. He'll kill us. You're way out of your league."

"All you have to do is find him. I'll take care of it from there." Cole said easily.

Natalie sighed heavily as she turned to stare out her window. She felt tears burn in her eyes. "I'll need a map and a few other things. Find me a new age store or something similar and I can make it work."

Against everything Natalie knew about the supernatural world, she helped Cole find his man. As subtly as possible he dragged her down the street. A jacket was thrown over her hands to hide the ropes he refused to remove. A part of her couldn't blame him, because she knew if she ever got the opportunity she'd make a run for it. Instead, she followed him reluctantly. After the last six hours of tracking down Dean, she was already feeling herself fading.

"Stay here," he said as he pushed her against a dumpster in the alley.

"Wait, Cole." She stepped towards him. "Just wait a second, let me go. You've got him. Please just let me go."

"Stay here." He commanded with a stronger shove.

As soon as he moved away, she slumped against the dumpster. He pulled out more rope and tied her to the handle. "I'll be right back."

"And if you're not?" She yelled after him. "He'll kill me too, Cole."

She watched as he moved down the alley, sneaking up on the man in front of him. There was no way for Natalie to hear what was being said, but she did see the redhead run away from both men when Cole finally made his presence known. She watched as the two spoke to one another before the first punch was thrown. Once they were pre-occupied, she focused on getting herself free. It's moments like this she wished she knew more spells. The few she knew would take too much energy. All she could do was pull at the ropes until it burned into her skin. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she cursed under her breath.

"Hey, hey." A voice caused her to yelp as a hand fell on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Please, you have to help me." She begged. His eyes moved from her face to her hands. "This guy wanted me to help him find someone."

"Fine who?" He asked with urgency.

"Dean Winchester, listen please let me go. If this guy is what I've been told…"

"Whoa, slow down. He's my brother, Dean. I'm Sam."

"Shit," Natalie sighed as she slumped against the dumpster once again. "Then untie me or kill me."

"What?" Sam asked surprised by her request.

"Cole said he was after a demon. So…"

"Cole?" Sam's expression shifted quickly as he glanced down the alley behind him. He pulled out a gun and took a step back. "I'll be back."

Natalie tried harder to get the ropes loose around her wrists, only drawing more blood from her raw skin. By the time she gave up, the three men were already heading back in her direction. Her eyes moved over their faces, noticing the damage to two. Her eyes never left Dean as Cole moved towards her.

"I'm sorry, Natalie." He said as he placed his hands carefully over the bloody ropes.

"How did you find Dean?" Sam asked as he stayed behind his brother, eyeing her carefully.

"A locater spell." Cole answered for her. "Figured a witch could find a demon."

"Witch," Sam's voice deepened with surprise. Natalie flinched as she saw the two Winchesters pull out their guns.

"I'm not a witch. Not really." Natalie said, her eyes pleading with Cole to untie her.

"You either are or you're aren't." Dean said.

"I'm not. Can I work a few novice spells yes, but I'm not a natural. Besides, aren't you a demon?" Dean rolled his eyes at that.

"Not anymore." Cole said continuing to untie her. "I'll take her home."

"Wait," Sam said moving closer. Dean watched his brother closely. "What do you need to locate someone?"

"He gave me a name. But object, hair, really anything connected to the person will do." Natalie sighed. "I find people. Do the occasional love spell, maybe give a guy the flu or the clap. Nothing that lasts more than a few hours. Like I said, not a natural. I have to physically tap into my essence to make it work."

"Essence?" Dean asked, still eyeing her suspiciously.

"My life source. It drains me to do magic. And I've been tracking you all day, I'm exhausted." Natalie held up her hands for Cole to untie them again. He eyed the brothers before glancing at her. "Jesus, this is a nightmare."

Rolling her eyes she took in a deep breath. On a slow exhale, she centered her energy. All three men stepped back and leveled their guns at her as a soft light began to glow from the ropes. She felt the restraints give and her body fall from the exertion. Natalie opened her eyes to stare up at the three men pointing guns at her head. She tried to push herself up from the concrete, but found herself too weak and her wrists now bloodied and burned.

"She a monster?" Cole asked.

"A few love spells, huh?" Dean asked moving closer to the woman and eyeing the ash that used to be ropes.

"Call it a failed attempt at self-preservation. You know how many badass hunters I've had to deal with over the years? You don't scare me. You need me. Desperation is just oozing off your aura. That and some heavy waves of rage. So I'll give you the same options as your brother. Let me go or kill me." Natalie said as she stared up at the men. Dean gave her a once over before nodding and aiming his gun.

"Dean, wait," Sam said.

"She's a witch, Sam."

"And maybe she can help us. With the mark. Or finding Rowena." Sam moved closer as Natalie once again tried to sit up fully. "She can come with us." Dean rolled his eyes before knocking her out with the butt of his gun.

SPN*spn*SPN

Natalie woke up chained to a chair in front of a metal table. She wasn't sure where she was, but she could tell there were multiple warding spells and symbols in place. None of which affected her, but the chains around her wrist and ankles seemed to be impervious to any of the spells she knew. There was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of her with a bottle of water. She sat motionless for a few hours before Sam came in.

"Natalie, right?" He asked. "Got a last name?"

"Tate. Where am I?" She asked trying not to pull on her restraints. Her wrists now securely wrapped in white medical gauze.

"Safe, you're safe here. You should eat." He suggested motioning to the food.

"I can't." She sighed. "I'm allergic to peanuts."

Sam reached for the plate with a surprised 'oh'. He moved it further away from her. Slowly he took a seat on the side of the table and stared at her. "How's turkey?"

"Good, I guess." This time she did move the chains around her wrists.

"Just until we know we can trust you." He promised. She couldn't stop the scoff that escaped her lips.

"Rowena? Not sure you want to tango with a bitch like that. She'll feel me searching for her." Sam stood up and moved closer.

"My brother…"

"Is an asshole." She said flatly as she motioned to the bruise she knew was still present from Dean knocking her out.

"There's a mark, the first mark." Sam began. "It belonged to Cain." Natalie hung her head as she listened. "We're looking for a way to remove it."

"Try laser therapy."

Sam finally locked eyes with her, glaring for a moment before standing and moving towards the door angrily. Natalie let out a frustrated growl as she watched his retreating back.

"Sorry, but Cain? That's so far above my pay grade. You saw me, I couldn't get out of army ropes without passing out." She yelled across the space. Sam glanced back at her before closing the door. He came back a few hours later with a new sandwich and chips.

"Help us with some research." Sam said as he placed a stack of books in front of her.

"Why do you need my help anyway? You obviously don't trust me, and you're brother wants to kill me. Can't you just drop me off at a bus station? I promise I won't say anything about this, I'll quit using magic if that makes things better. Please."

"An extra pair of eyes can be helpful. And maybe we'll come across a spell that could be helpful. You have to believe me when I say you're safe here, Natalie. I promise you that." All Natalie could do was nod.

Eventually she found herself buried in books. Apparently, if she couldn't do magic then the least she could do was read up on everything involving Cain and even what little witchcraft they would allow her to get her hands on. It felt like months, but more like a few days. Sam was the only one she had contact with, but he did eventually move her into a room with a bathroom and bed. She was still locked in but at least chain free.

Sam still brought her food and more reading material, there were even some days when he would sit with her for a few hours, both engrossed in books. The further she got into the world they were living in, the more she understood why they were so desperate.

"We're heading out for a few days." Sam said as he leaned against her doorframe. "A friend of ours needs some help, and Dean's going stir crazy."

"Okay, where are we going?" She asked, slowly getting off the floor.

"Nowhere. Dean and I should only be gone for two days, no more than four." Sam motioned for her to follow him. "Let me show you around."

"You're letting me out, alone?" She asked moving towards him. "Dean's okay with this?"

"He'll get over it. Just don't make me regret this."

And that's how Natalie learned the layout of the bunker, and completely immersed herself into the world of the Winchesters. She wasn't surprised to find a majority of the bunker locked. There was no way for her to get out and they didn't leave her with a phone other than the pre-historic ones original to the bunker. Again she wasn't surprised. Sam did leave her with a computer with so many parental locks a toddler would have found it boring. He emailed her with a few topics to research as they came to him, and called regularly as a way for him to make sure she was still there and alive.

The second day alone she stumbled onto a series of books that were terrifyingly close to the brother's lives. It took her two days to read them all before she found unpublished versions as well. If these were the men she would be dealing with, then she had to tread lightly and try her hardest to get and stay on their good side.

She was beginning to understand them, Dean's hatred of all things witch made more sense, although she was sure if he knew what she actually did he'd just laugh. The most surprising thing was the fact that she was beginning to feel for these two men. They had been through more than anyone would wish on their worst enemy, and yet they were still out there saving people and hunting things. She'd really have to be the cold hearted bitch Dean thought she was to not feel her heart clench just a little when each of them had died and the sacrifices they made for each other.

"Natalie, we're back." Sam called as the two came back into the bunker.

She came out of the kitchen with a bottle of water and a small smile. "Everything go okay?" She asked, rolling her eyes as Dean ignored her and moved in the direction of the bedrooms.

"It's fine. Everything good here?" Sam questioned surveying the library.

"Yeah, just did a lot of reading. The kitchen's pretty bare, might want to go on a grocery run." She gave another small smile before heading back for her room. "Hey Sam, I can try to help. I want to help." She said, causing Sam to give her a questioning look before smiling. "But you need to know that I'm not like the witches you've dealt with before. I'm just a normal girl who picked a shitty hobby."


	2. Chapter 2

With Natalie's admission to wanting to help, Sam was finally able to let go of some suspicions of her. The younger Winchester brother was quickly becoming a close friend, or as friendly as a kidnapper could be. Natalie felt guilty for still thinking of them as captors of any sort, but it was true. Cole had taken her from her home, her friends were probably dying to find her, but she had to say it wasn't all bad.

"Natalie," Sam called through her door with a soft knock. She didn't move from her spot laid out on her bed as she told him to come in. By now, she was used to Sam visiting throughout the day. "You know you don't have to stay in here."

She finally looked up from her book and glanced around at the bare walls of the room. "It's easier to avoid Dean's glared from in here."

"Come on, I was going shopping. You said the kitchen was bare."

She hesitated for a moment before smiling and sliding off the bed. It was almost sad how excited she got over seeing the outside world again. Sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala, Natalie let the wind throw her hair around her face as they drove to the closest town with the windows rolled down. Sam tried not to laugh at her, but she could tell he was amused by her behavior.

"What?" She asked when she finally opened her eyes and moved a little further into the seat. "I haven't been out of that bunker in two weeks. This is the closest to heaven as I'll get."

He did laugh at that. It wasn't long until they were pulling into a small shopping center. Natalie tried to stay focused on the food that she wanted to buy, but she couldn't stop her eyes from shifting to the other stores around. Sam was a few paces ahead of her already closing in on the grocery store, when he noticed she wasn't next to him.

"Natalie," he called as he turned in a slight panic to see her staring at a clothing store. His expression softened as he noticed she was wearing the only pair of jeans she had and one of his large t-shirts tied at her waist to keep it from falling to her knees. "We can go in if you want. I'm sorry I didn't think of it before."

"I don't have any money." She sighed. "Cole didn't exactly grab my wallet when he threw me in this truck."

"Don't worry it's the least I can do." Sam said as he lightly gripped her arm and pulled her in the direction of the store.

That was the first of many outings with Sam. Slowly she was building up a wardrobe again, anything was better than the oversized shirts Sam had been letting her borrow. It didn't really surprise her when her closet was mostly t-shirts, jeans, and a few plaid button downs. It was nothing as diverse as the one she had back home, but who needs a little black dress when she was lucky to go grocery shopping every other week?

Natalie knew having Sam on her side was just the start. There was no way for her to truly be trusted without having the oldest Winchester on her side as well. The few times they were alone, he either completely ignored her or yelled at her for whatever she'd been doing. It was nerve wracking knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do in order to make him see her as anything other than a witch.

"What are you doing?" Dean's voice boomed from the entrance of the kitchen, causing Natalie to jump and drop the spoon she was using for mixing the sauce.

"Jesus, can you not sneak up on me?" She said through gritted teeth as she bent down to pick up the spoon.

Dean followed her movement, trying to get a read on the woman that had been living with them for two weeks now. He knew Sam trusted her, but there was still the fact that she was a witch. Dean just couldn't see himself ever trusting a witch. Natalie was different though, he had to at least admit that. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but she had helped Cole try to kill him.

"Sorry," he mumbled as she moved to the sink to rinse the spoon. "What are you doing?"

"Solving world hunger…" she deadpanned. When he didn't say anything for a few seconds, she glanced over her shoulder to see that he had moved further into the room. "Lasagna. It's one of the few things I'm actually good at making."

She took the newly clean spoon and returned to the pot boiling on the stove. Again Dean found himself following her movements with his eyes. Leaning against the island, closer to the stove and oven, he was able to see that she had been busy most of the afternoon. The sink was filled with dishes already and one side of the counter was still covered in flour from whatever she had been baking.

"Apple pie," she said as she noticed where his eyes had landed. "Sam mentioned it was a favorite."

"Sam doesn't like pie." Dean said.

"I know, he said it was yours." She gave him a small smile. "You don't like me, and I get why. I just think that if we got to know each other a little better, maybe you could see that I'm not all bad. And maybe I could see why Sam says you're not always such a dick." She smiled at the end to show that she was joking.

That night, the three sat around the table actually having a pleasant dinner. Sam was surprised that Dean was holding a civil conversation, although Sam and Natalie were the two keeping the topics rolling, the pair focusing of the different monsters the brother's had faced over the years. He could tell that Dean was still trying to size Natalie up. It was only a matter of time before Dean saw the girl that Sam had gotten to know.

"Well boys, I cooked. Have fun cleaning up." She said as she left the kitchen.

"Yeah Sammy, have fun cleaning up." Dean slapped his brother on the chest before taking another bottle of beer and heading to his room.

SPN*spn*SPN

The nights were the hardest for her. She was still sleeping on the original mattress that the Men of Letters had placed in the bunker and she spent more time tossing around on the brick like bed than getting any actual rest. It was early and Natalie was just barely falling asleep when Dean barged into her room. "Get up, we need your help. Pack light."

She didn't get any further explanation. Dean stood in her doorway as he watched her pack a small duffle bag with the few clothes she had on hand. Sam was already waiting at the Impala in the garage. She wanted to ask him for more information, but the sense of urgency was clear from each brother. She slid in the back door that Dean held open for her, her eyes watching him closely as she settled into the back seat. The impulse to flinch overtook her as he moved around the door and leaned into the back seat. The cold bite of metal on her wrists shocked her, and she immediately sought out Sam's gaze from the passenger seat. When he gave a sympathetic shrug she turned her eyes back to Dean as he clicked the other cuff to the Impala door.

"Just a precaution, sweetheart." He said before moving back to the driver's seat. She didn't miss the disapproving look Sam sent his way as he started the car.

Sitting in the back, watching the scenery change as Dean floored it to some unknown location, Natalie tried to stay as still as possible to keep the handcuffs from rattling. She actually scoffed as Dean turned up the music in order to drown out the sound of the cuffs. It was his idea after all.

When they finally made it to Illinois, Sam was the one to fill her in on the fact that they were going to meet Castiel for an emergency he called them in on.

"Castiel?" She was surprised to catch Dean's gaze in the rearview mirror. Sam turned in the passenger seat in order to face her better.

"Cas is a friend." Sam answered. "He's also an angel."

"A what?" She tried not to laugh. "Like an honest to God angel? That was real?"

"What was real?" Dean asked as he glanced back at her from the driver's seat.

"I found these books…" Both brothers let out noises of aggravation before she was able to finish. "Oh God, that really did happen?"

"Yeah," Sam bit out as both men turned their attention back to the road.

That was the last thing they said to her until they were pulling into the truck stop parking lot. The boys got out of the car first, Dean stopped to open the back door and uncuff her. The action caused Castiel to narrow his eyes on the pair before they were moving towards him. Natalie stayed a few paces behind, trying to gage where her role in the situation was. She came to a stop a few steps behind the brothers, her eyes taking in the interaction between the three men.

"Nat, why don't you come with me to talk to the people at the group home?" Sam asked, reaching behind him to touch her arm.

"No, she'll be more helpful here." Dean spoke up. Castiel remained in front of them, watching the two brothers grip the girl's wrists. "She can do that locator thing to find Claire."

"I don't think…" Natalie tried, glancing up at the angel even though she knew there was nothing for him to do.

"You can do it right?" Dean asked, his hand gripping her wrist a little tighter. All she could do was nod, which seemed to settle the argument. Sam let go and Dean pulled her behind him as he followed Castiel into the building.

That's how she found herself holed up in the woman's restroom at a truck stop diner trying to pinpoint an angry teenager. Every time she got close, the wax would begin to move again. She was terrified to go back out to Dean with no location. If what she'd been reading about Cain and the mark were true, then she needed to be careful of riling up his temper, and the raw feeling of her wrist was a clear reminder.

"Are we going to talk about the witch you brought along?" Castiel asked, after the two sat in a heavy silence after Dean's request to be taken out if the mark took control again.

"What's there to talk about? She's doing her thing to find Claire." Dean shrugged.

"Where did she come from, she's not one of your usual friends?"

"Kind of fell in our laps. Sammy decided to take her in."

"You don't trust her." Castiel said, watching his friend closely.

"Not really, she's a witch. Sam does though, and I'll follow his lead." He glanced down at his watch before turning in the direction Natalie had disappeared to. "Speaking of the witch, she's been gone awhile."

Finally, she was able to blow the wax cool before her vision began to blur at the edges. She felt herself losing balance, and gripped the edge of the sink in front of her as a loud knock came from the door.

"You better still be in there, Sabrina." Dean boomed. With a stumble she fell through the door, he caught her roughly by the upper arms. "Find something?"

"Not really, she's moving. East from what I can tell. All I got is about a fifty mile radius." She sighed.

"That's fine, Sam's got something." He let her go, heading back into the dining area. Natalie took a minute to steady herself before she followed behind him.

Sam told the group at the boy Claire was close with, and that's how the four found themselves waiting around outside a Weiner Hut. Natalie hated to admit the idea of actually eating a hotdog sounded delicious at the moment. She hadn't been able to eat at the diner and she was having a hard time remembering the last decent meal she had other than the dinner she made back at the bunker.

Natalie rolled down the back window of the Impala and shifted her gaze between the two brothers that were leaned against the car. "I'm starving, mind if I run inside?" She tried to direct her question more to Sam, but she wasn't surprised when he glanced to Dean.

"Sure, come on." Dean opened the back door for her, snapping the cuff of her wrist before both Sam and Castiel watched as the older brother followed the blonde into the store.

She gave a sweet smile to the teenage boy behind the register as she order. Dean tried to hide his surprise at the three hotdogs, large fry and soda she ordered. He rolled his eyes as she turned the sweet smile his direction as she stepped aside to let him order and pay. He turned his glare on the teenager as his eyes followed Natalie to the soda machine instead of taking the cash Dean was handing over.

"She's a little out of your league, kid." Dean bit back as he drew the kid's attention back to him.

"Sorry man, but you should know your girlfriend is hot."

"Not his girlfriend." Natalie choked out as she took a sip from her bendy straw. "Not even friends, really."

"You're cute, grab the food and let's go." Dean growled, pushing her to the other side of the counter where a large greasy bag was waiting.

She set the bag down on a table next to the window, giving him a good view of where Sam and Cas were still waiting for the kid to show up. Natalie didn't seem to notice or care, she pulled out her food and dug in like it was her last meal. Dean tried not to stare as she practically inhaled the first hotdog. A part of him wondered if this was how Sam felt watching him pig out all these years.

"So this girl," Natalie asked around a mouthful of fries. "She's Castiel's daughter?"

"Not exactly." Dean said, keeping his eyes focused on the pane of glass. He also tried to ignore the fact that he was more focused on her reflection than what was happening on the other side.

"What happens when we find her? Is he going to take care of her? Are you?" She sucked down more of her soda before tearing into her last hotdog. "Maybe you guys should've thought this through."

"Thanks for the input, Dr. Phil. We'll figure it out, we always do." He said before stepping away from table as he saw Castiel pin a boy against the brick wall. "Let's go."

Natalie found herself in the back of the Impala once again. She rolled her eyes as Dean handcuffed her to the door handle. He at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. Almost as soon as the door closed she felt herself slump against it in exhaustion. There wasn't enough time for her to actually get any semblance of sleep. Before she knew it, the Impala was parked behind a convenience store alley.

"You guys mind?" She jiggled the handcuffs around the door as the brother's got out of the car. Sam was the one moving to the back seat this time. "I've got to pee. Think I can handle that one on my own?" She gave him a hopeful smile.

"Sure, head in with Cas. Please don't make me regret this?" He finished quietly with a glance in Dean's direction.

"It'll be quick I promise." She followed behind the angel, stumbling slightly over the door jam.

"She seem alright to you?" Sam asked as he went to lean against the front fender of the Impala.

"Threw back more food than I did, if that's what you mean?"

"No, she seems a little off today. Slow and unbalanced." Dean nodded, noticing the same thing.

"Tired maybe. She hadn't eaten and I don't think she got any sleep before we left." Dean reasoned.

"It was the tracking. Remember, magic drains me. I just need to refuel." Natalie's voice shocked the brother's as she came around the corner holding up a bag of skittles in her hand. "She's in there by the way. They'll be out in a minute."

The three awkwardly stood in the alley before Natalie offered some of the candy to Sam. He declined which only seemed to make the tension thicker, she held the bag out as an offer for Dean and let out a sigh of relief when he held out his hand. She settled between the two, her and Dean passing the small bag back and forth. Sam let out a soft chuckle as he watched the pair.

"Pie, hotdogs, and skittles." Natalie said softly. Dean glanced at Sam before looking down at the woman between them. "Just keeping a list of things to keep me in your good graces."

Dean rolled his eyes and passed the bag back to her. He had a small internal war before he decided to throw her a bone. "Pie, gummy bears and burgers."

"What?" She asked with a little laugh.

"Top three, foods anyway." He said. She nodded with a small smile before the door beside them busted open with an angry Claire Novack stepping into the alley.

Castiel wasn't far behind her, and Sam and Dean were quick to stand to their full height. Natalie kept her position on the fender of the Impala as Claire glared at the men around them. It was as if she hadn't even noticed the woman with them. Natalie actually felt her heart break for the girl, listening to her talk about the father she lost. It wasn't until the teen pointed the gun in the direction of the Impala that Natalie found her feet. As soon as she was standing, she felt a slight wave of panic before both brothers stepped closer together to shield her from the weapon.

Natalie knew she should be worried, but she could see the deep shades of pain and sadness that washed over Claire's aura. She was surprised to feel the sting of tears in her eyes as she went back to lean on the fender as Claire walked off.

"Wow," Natalie breathed as she glanced between the three men. "I need to sleep."

Natalie didn't mind they left her handcuffed to the backdoor as they went to grab a drink as she slept off the fatigue from the day. It wasn't all from the spell she'd done, every word Claire said was seared into Natalie's brain as she tried to process what to think of the men she found herself surrounded by. She let exhaustion pull her into unconsciousness as a few tears managed to escape through her lashes.

It was Sam unlocking the handcuffs that finally woke her. A few seconds of confusion, and she turned to watch Castiel come out of a house with a hysterical Claire. She slid to the edge of the seat stretching her legs out the open door and rubbing her sore wrists. Castiel and Claire were beside her, the teen curled against the angel's side breathing heavily. As Natalie's senses started to come back fully, she felt a switch. A tidal wave of white hot rage washed over the entire area.

"Where's Dean?" She asked, voice hoarse as her eyes moved towards the house. The other three occupants turned as well as they heard a struggle from within.

All four ran back to the house. Natalie barely registered Claire's screams as she took in the bodies covered in blood scattered around the room. Sam moved in front of his brother as Natalie took a step back, cautiously moving toward the door, but her eyes never left the eldest Winchester.

Bile rose up her throat as her eyes remained on the two brothers. Castiel took Claire out before Natalie made it through the threshold. She choked on the lump in her throat when Dean's eyes connected with hers. Finally outside, she broke down into gasping breaths and hot tears rolling down her cheeks. It wasn't until she felt Sam's arms wrap around her middle that she realized she was even running, or at least attempting.

"No, Sam. I can't." She cried as she struggled against him. "This is too much. What happened in there…those were bad men sure, but they were human. If the mark is that strong, he's already gone." Natalie said as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm not strong enough to deal with this."

"It's under control." Sam lied. "He has it under control. He won't hurt you, Natalie."

Natalie slumped in defeat, knowing she wasn't going to get more than the lies Sam was feeding her. With a heavy sigh she found her feet and was once again in the backseat of the Impala. Wiping away the wet from her cheeks, she glanced over to see Claire once again huddled into the side of Castiel. Natalie was almost a little ashamed to feel jealous over the comforting gesture.

She sat behind Dean, who now occupied the passenger seat, and she couldn't help but notice the dark tinge to the energy around him. She bit down on her lip as she thought of every spell she knew. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with a shaking hand. She noticed Claire shrink further into Castiel's side. No one but Natalie understood her fear, the two women didn't have the same blind faith in the man as his brother and friend seemed to possess. Her trembling fingers laid a hand on his shoulder, she extended three fingers to barely touch his neck before moving them in a slow, deliberate pattern.

Dean turned to her finally, a questions in his eyes. "It wasn't you. I'm sorry I freaked out." All she got was a nod as Dean seemed to finally relax into the passenger seat.

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter. Don't forget to drop a review. Thanks, S.K


	3. Chapter 3

In the days following the 'incident' as she liked to refer to it, Natalie tried to spend as much time as she could with Claire. The teenager needed someone by her side through all of this, and thankfully she seemed somewhat open to the idea of leaning on the older woman for support. It also gave Natalie an excuse to leave the bunker, and get some much needed distance between her and the brothers, more specifically Dean.

"How can you live with them?" Claire asked as she held her legs tightly to her chest.

"It wasn't by choice." Natalie admitted. "And it's not that bad…it wasn't."

"They're all murderers." She bit out as she buried her face in her knees as a fresh wave of tears hit her.

"You're right…but there's more to it, Claire. When I first met them, two months ago, they terrified me. But what Dean did, and believe me I am not making excuses for what happened, it wasn't him. Not really. It's like he couldn't control himself. Haven't you ever said or done something that you instantly regretted, but in the heat of the moment it felt right?"

"Sounds like an excuse to me." Claire sighed as she unfolded herself from the bed and moved around the small hotel room. "You should head back."

"I don't have to. Cas is waiting outside, I can stay as long and you like."

"He's babysitting you too?" She rolled her eyes at the older blonde. "Why don't they trust you? You seem to be the only good one."

"I'm not as innocent as I look." Natalie gave her a weak smile before standing and moving to the side table. She scribbled on the paper provided before turning back to the teen. "I'll give you some time alone, but if you need anything call me."

"I don't think I'm going to stick around much longer." Claire admitted as she looked around the small space.

"The offer still stands, no matter where you are call me. I won't tell them anything. Us girls have to stick together." She smiled weakly, and both let out a small sob as Claire flung herself against the older woman. "You'll make it through this. We'll both make it through."

"Thank you." Claire sighed as she finally pulled away from Natalie.

She walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. Castiel pushed off the wall he was leaning against. "Give me a lift back to the bunker?"

"Should I say something to her?" He asked, motioning to the door.

"She's showering." Natalie lied. "I think she just needs some space. Everything's kind of hitting her hard."

"And you? Are you alright?" Castiel asked as he followed her out of the hotel.

"I'm fine. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Not a lot I can do considering I have nowhere else to go." Natalie slumped into the passenger seat of his car as he began the drive back.

As the pair walked into the building, Castiel noticed how rigid Natalie became. She made it as far as the library, giving Sam and small wave to acknowledge that she was back before making her way quickly back to her room. She'd never say it out loud, but she was actively avoiding Dean as much as she could. That's why she couldn't stop the flinch that ran through her as she turned a corner and almost collided with him.

"Hey," she breathed with a forced smile.

"I won't hurt you, Natalie." He said a little more harshly than he'd intended.

"That's not…" she took a moment to steady her heartrate before continuing. "I know, Dean. I'm sorry. I'm a little jumpy is all, haven't gotten a lot of sleep. Which reminds me," She motioned down the hall to her room. "I've got an appointment with that plywood board I call a bed."

"See you in the morning?" He called after her, trying to hold back the hopefulness in his voice.

"Of course."

When Natalie found herself at the bunker, she spent as much time as possible holed up in her room. The only time she looked forward to leaving was to get her morning coffee. That just conveniently happened to be when Dean got his. She thought of it as a civic duty, all it took was a hand on his shoulder as she reached for a mug. She'd hit him with a tranquility spell that would hopefully help balance out the effects of the mark. Other than that, she kept to herself. Which seemed to be easier than usual, as the brother's and Castiel moved around the bunker as though they were keeping something from her.

She was surprised when she was able to sneak up on them sitting in the war room. They were talking about Claire, who had already texted to let her know she was alright without a location.

"She's fine." Natalie finally spoke up as Castiel explained his worries for his quasi-daughter. The three men shifted slightly at her presence, Dean taking in the distance she was keeping from him by leaving the table and his brother between them. "I got a text a few hours ago."

"Good to know she's at least communicating with someone." He sighed. "That's actually why I'm here. I was hoping that you could reach out to her, Dean."

Sam and Natalie glanced between the two, with semi-shocked expressions. Dean was openly confused. "I'm the last person she wants to talk to."

"I thought there would be a connection. One extremely messed up human to another. You could explain why you murdered her only friend."

"Oh well, when you put it like that." Dean said as he lifted the beer to his lips.

"All I know is she won't talk to me." Cas said as he relaxed into a chair. "I thought if she understood what kind of man Randy was and the danger she was in, then she might…"

"No one can explain that to her." Natalie spoke up. "She's young and she's hurting. Just give her some time to process everything that's happened."

"What the hell, long shots seem to be the theme around here." Dean said with a forced smile. "I'm going to make a sandwich."

"I'll text you her number." Castiel said with a renewed hopefulness.

Natalie's gaze followed the older Winchester out of the room, before slipping into his vacated chair and taking in the two remaining men. It was obvious to her that there was something the three were keeping from her, but she decided now wasn't the time to push the subject. A small part of her wanted to follow Dean, maybe try to get away with putting one more dose of the tranquility spell on him. Even though he seemed outwardly relaxed, she could feel the tension coming off of him in rushed waves. She wasn't paying attention to the remaining men until an unrecognizable name hit her ears and brought her back to the present.

"Meta-who?" She asked, leaning forward on the table. The wide eyed looked that passed between the two didn't go unnoticed.

"No one." Sam said easily dismissing the question. "What about you? Are you getting anything weird off Dean, lately?"

"I should probably tell you both something." She said staring at her hands. "I've kind of been using magic."

"What did you do?" Sam asked with worry evident in his eyes.

"It's harmless to him. It's a soothing energy to the soul." Natalie explained. "Here," she leaned further across the table and placed her fingers on his forearm, letting them move almost unnoticeably. Castiel watched as Sam practically melted into his chair.

"Wow," Sam said after she leaned back into her seat.

"Like a good high, right? That's barely a teaspoon of the dosage I give Dean every morning. What I give him could put down a fully grown elephant and it barely phases him."

"How?" Sam asked as he felt the effects slowly level out.

"As far as I can tell it's probably a few hours relief before he's back to fighting the mark. I used this a lot back at my bar, calm down the rowdy boys."

"And he doesn't know?" The angel asked as he studied her carefully.

"No, at least I don't think so. I try to make it as subtle as possible."

"The coffee." Sam smiled.

"Yeah," Natalie breathed with a quirk of her eyebrow. Sam couldn't help but smile.

"He might not know, but that's probably the highlight of his day." Again she gave him a questioning look. "Uh, he's got a thing for shampoo."

"Okay," Natalie drawled. "You guys wanna tell me what you're hiding from me? Yesterday I was avoiding all of you and now it's like I'm the one with the plague."

"It's getting late," Castiel said standing up from the table, effectively ignoring her words. "I'm going to look for Claire."

"Nice deflection, Cas. Do you want me to find her for you?" Natalie offered with a roll of her eyes.

"No, you need to save your strength." Castiel said with a pointed look.

"I'm fine." She sighed.

"Magic drains you," Sam remembered. "How much does that spell take out of you?"

"Midday nap and I'm good." Natalie smiled as she stood to leave. "I'm going to see if I can persuade Dean to make me a sandwich, and maybe get some answers."

Sam laughed as he followed the two out of the war room. Natalie listened to them talk about Claire as she stopped in the kitchen. The two men stopped behind her staring into the empty room.

"Where's Dean?" She asked.

Without warning Sam and Castiel took off at a run down the hall. Natalie followed behind, stopping just outside the dungeon door. She knew the room well, but hadn't been back since she'd got a room of her own. She took in the bleeding man the angel was holding up. She stood to the side as they left. Natalie found herself staring at the brothers completely confused as to what she just witnessed. She tried not to flinch as Dean made eye contact with her, and she felt herself backing away before she fully registered her movements. She was in the kitchen before she realized she ran from the room.

"Natalie," Dean called out softly from the doorway.

"Who was that?" She asked leaning against the counter.

"Best you don't know." Dean sighed as he came to stand next to the island.

"Alright," she said moving around him to grab a plate. As her hand made contact with his shoulder, she saw some of his muscles uncoil. "I'm going to eat. You want something?"

"No, I'm good." Dean said as he followed her movements around the room. He sat at the table, watching as she drew in slow breathes. Both relaxed in the calm silence. It wasn't until his phone rang that the tension snapped back into place.

Natalie tried not to listen to the conversation but it was difficult. As he stood, she took one cautious step towards him.

"Claire, she wants to talk in the morning." He said before getting up. "Night, Nat."

SPN*spn*SPN

The next morning, Natalie woke up to her usual routine: 6am yoga, shower, and then coffee. She smiled as she moved into the kitchen to find Dean already sipping from a mug. The blue one she usually used was already steaming on the counter. She sent him a cautious look before taking the cup.

"You heading out to meet Claire?" She asked as she tried to hold in a moan at the taste, better than she made it herself.

"Yeah, tell Sam for me." Dean said before moving for the door.

"I can come." She offered. "She trusts me, and it might be good to have someone keep the peace." She watched as he considered it before nodding at the door. She couldn't help but notice the distance he kept from her.

The ride to the park was filled with a thick silence. There were a million questions Natalie wanted to ask, but she knew he wouldn't respond. All she could think about was somehow getting just a moment of contact to ease some of the tension rolling off of him. She listened when he told her to wait in the car, just to avoid an argument.

She tried to scan the area for Claire, and pushed open the passenger door when she saw the girl run out to yell no as two kids came out with a baseball bat and axe. It took everything in her to not run at Dean as he held the axe over them, but again Claire beat her to it. Natalie shared a look with the blonde teen, neither saying a word. Natalie didn't want to give her one of those adult speeches, and tell her how disappointed she was. That's not what Claire needed from her, and Natalie was in no position to give her advice.

The teen ran off as the two slipped back into the Impala. Natalie took in a deep calming breath before turning to face Dean.

"Are you okay?" She asked, noticing how he was rubbing his right arm slightly. He nodded tensely, avoiding her gaze. "This may sound strange, but can I see it?" She asked with a glance down at his arm.

Dean sighed before rolling up his sleeve. He watched as her hand shook before her cool fingers met skin. His eyes closed at the contact as she slowly moved her fingers in a familiar pattern. Dean relaxed as her fingers continued to move against his skin. As the pressure from her fingers began to lessen, he opened his eyes to see Natalie slumped against the back of the passenger seat. Her breathing was slowly growing heavier. With a growl, he pulled his arm away from her. Her hand landed with a heavy thud on the bench seat between them. He reached over, resting his fingers against the soft skin of her wrist to feel her slow pulse. The anger washed away any lingering effects of the spell.

Natalie wasn't sure how long they sat in the Impala, but she woke up slumped against the passenger door in the bunker's garage. Dean carefully opened the door, helping keep her find her feet. She gripped his arms as she felt her head spin.

"Come on," he said as he pulled her into his side.

"How long was I out?" She asked as her legs buckled.

"An hour," he sighed as he lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs. "You need to cut the bitchcraft out, Natalie."

"What?" She asked, trying and failing to not relax in his embrace.

"You think I don't know what you've been doing? Even if I wasn't sure before, back in the car I saw it."

"I'm sorry." She said, pushing out of his arms to find her feet. "But it helps? At least a little, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't need it." Dean said. "Save your energy for the important stuff, like helping us track down Cain."

Natalie backed away, hugging her arms around her chest. She eyed him warily before taking a step towards the bedrooms. Her legs wobbled for a second before she fell into the wall. Dean reached out to catch her, but she held up a hand to keep him away. With a deep breath, she tried to steady herself.

"Cain, as in the maniac that gave you that thing?" She sighed shaking her head. "I don't think my little locater spell is going to find the father of murder."

"We'll figure something out." Dean gave her a small smile.

"I have to be a part of it." She said with a shaky breath. "I can't do this one foot out the door. I didn't tell you about the spell and I'm sorry, but you three were keeping secrets too. That guy in the dungeon…"

"Trust me, Natalie, it doesn't concern you."

"If it matters to you, then it matters to me. That's how things have to be from here on out. You want to keep secrets, fine, but know that when they come out and they always come out, it's going to have consequences." She looked up into his green eyes and finally found the strength to hold herself up. "I'm sorry I hid from you, all of you. There is nothing I hate more than admitting when I'm scared, but I was. This life was never something I planned on being a part of. But I'm here to help, Dean. You have to trust me on that."

"No more spells," he took a step towards her. "Not unless I ask for it. Deal?"

"Deal. No more secret captives?" She tried. Dean made a show of thinking it over.

"Case by case. There are somethings that you're better off not knowing about. It's to protect you." He said placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. "Now get some sleep, we've got a lot of work to do."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you making breakfast?" Natalie asked breathlessly as she came into the kitchen. She was only wearing a neon yellow and blue sports bra with matching running shorts. Dean glanced up, doing a quick double take, before turning back to the omelets he was working on.

"You were busy. I didn't want to wait around." He shrugged, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she moved around the room and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge.

It had been a week since Natalie had used any kind of magic. Instead, she had been bouncing around the bunker as if she was just a normal carefree girl. Dean tried to be annoyed by her and Sam, who seemed to be enjoying her company even more lately. It was becoming too easy to let Natalie fall into their little world. There were times when Dean couldn't remember when she wasn't following them around. She knew the foods they liked, the beer they drank, and when to keep to herself. She was comfortable, which meant more often than not she ran around the bunker in little shorts and tank tops and Dean hated how it affected him.

"Fair enough," she said before tilting her head back and draining half the bottle. Dean found his eyes traveling over her body while she was preoccupied. Her slightly flushed skin had a sheen of sweat covering her from head to toe, and he physically had to force himself to focus back on the food before moving towards her and following a droplet of sweat down her stomach with his finger.

"You should clean up," he choked out. "You stink."

"I will, but I want to do some yoga first. I don't want to get stiff." She gave him a wink before heading out of the room.

As he walked into the library, Dean found himself rolling his eyes while balancing three plates of egg white omelets. Sam was buried in books, completely oblivious to the woman contorting her body in positions Dean had only seen in porn. He may have dropped the plates on the table with a little more force than necessary. Sam jumped in his chair, but to Dean's annoyance Natalie didn't even falter in her moves.

"Egg whites?" Sam asked, slowly realizing where his brother's attention was.

"Crazy right?" Natalie's voice was slightly strained as she slowly lowered herself down into a plank before bowing her back and pushing her chest out. Sam smirked as he heard his brother bite back a groan. "I should be busy in the mornings more often."

"Since when do you go running?" Sam asked as he finally took in her appearance.

"More importantly, how did we not know you left the bunker?" Dean sat across from Sam feigning annoyance and trying to ignore the woman a few feet away.

"Because you both are so wrapped up in research, I was able to slip out through the tunnel in the garage." She smiled as she finally found her feet. "And it was the first morning I actually woke up with enough energy to want to go running."

"Well, come eat before this crap gets cold." Dean said once again avoiding making eye contact.

"What's gotten into you? You even slept passed seven." Sam questioned as he looked across the table to his brother, glancing at Natalie who nodded in agreement.

"Until we find any answers on this mark of Cain. I am on a twelve step program not to backslide." Dean said.

"Twelve steps?" Natalie asked with a purse of her lips and a glance at Sam.

"Yeah, Cain found a way to live with it after going darkside, I just have to find a way to keep it in check." For a moment he locked eyes with Natalie before looking back at Sam. "So I haven't had a drink in a week, eight hours of sleep every night, and now this masterpiece."

"That's three steps," Sam pointed out earning a pointed shut up from Dean.

As the trio cut into their breakfast, Natalie tried to hold in a moan at how good the eggs tasted. Apparently she failed because as soon as her eyes opened she found both Winchesters staring at her with shocked expressions.

"That's kind of embarrassing. It's really good." She smiled before taking another bite.

"Its crap," Dean said through a grimace and pushed his plate to the side. "I can't wait to get rid of this."

Sam and Dean jumped into researching the second they both finished eating. Natalie picked up the dishes and headed back to the kitchen. It was nearly an hour later that she reappeared, towel drying her long blonde hair and wearing a t-shirt that was at least three sizes too big with those damn skin tight jeans that Dean hated. She let out a sigh as she saw the books and papers spread out across the tables.

"Okay, where do you want me?" She asked as she dropped the towel in a chair and placed her hands on hips and her shirt slipped off one shoulder to show the lacy black strap of her bra.

"I'll make lunch." Dean said as he made a quick exit.

"That's weird right?" Natalie asked Sam as she watched the older Winchester practically run to the kitchen. "He's been weird since the whole torture thing. But this is worse than when he thought I was evil. At least then I understood why he was avoiding me."

"He's my big brother, Nat. I will never understand him."

"Awesome." She sighed before spinning on her heels and heading in the direction Dean disappeared.

"Is that my shirt?" She let out a small laugh as she heard Sam call out to her.

She stopped just outside the kitchen entrance as she heard him banging around the room. Slowly she took a few more steps and leaned against the door. Her chest constricted as she watched him throw handfuls of green leaves into a blender. She'd seen Sam do it a thousand times since she'd been with them, even did it herself a few times, but there was something about watching Dean change his entire lifestyle because of that damn mark that broke her heart. Taking a deep breath she cleared her throat and stepped into the room.

"Need some help?" She asked coming to lean against the counter beside him.

"I think I can make a damn smoothie." He grumbled.

"Dean," she started cautiously reaching for his forearm.

"Don't." He snapped, pulling away from her as if she'd burned him. "Don't do that."

"Why not?" Her voice rose in volume as she straightened up and glared at him. "I can help. Isn't that why I'm here?"

Dean didn't answer her, instead moving back to the blender and cutting off all thought of conversation with the loud whir of the blades against the contents inside. Natalie rolled her eyes at his childish behavior and headed back to the library. It wasn't long before he was placing a glass in front of both her and Sam. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips as she noticed hers was pink with a strawberry sitting on the rim. Dean didn't look at her, but she knew it was his subtle way of apologizing for whatever was going on with him.

It was a few hours later when Natalie knew she was headed for a break. She let out a low whine as she stretched her back and rolled her neck from sitting hunched over the books for so long. She flinched slightly when she felt hands land on her shoulders. Rolling her head back she smiled gratefully up at Dean as he began to apply pressure to her tense shoulders. In only a few seconds she was practically melting under his touch, but as she felt the tension leave her body she could feel it building in his. Finally she reached up and wrapped her hand around his wrist. His hands stilled and she felt a shiver run down her spine as his breath hit the side of her neck.

"Don't." He whispered.

"What the hell?" Sam's voice pulled the pair apart and Dean moved back into business mode.

Before she knew it, the boys were tossing back theories about this 'Charlie'. The name didn't sound familiar to her, but as she listened to the brothers talk she could tell that this woman meant something to them. It felt as though Natalie blinked and they were heading off to their respective rooms to pack. She moved down the hall and found herself standing outside of Dean's room.

"I should go with you." She said as she slipped her hands into her back pockets. Again Dean rolled his eyes before turning away from her. "Dean, you're not doing okay. I can see it. Sam is either oblivious or he's humoring you, but it's dangerous. If you snap…"

"I won't." Dean barked at her. "I'm fine."

Both of them glanced down at the knife in his hand, and Dean quickly sheathed it before making a fist with his shaking fingers. Natalie leveled him with heavy stare before Sam's voice was drawing their attention.

"Hey, you ready?"

"Yeah, she's staying here." Dean said grabbing his bag and moving around Natalie doing his best not to make any contact with her.

Once again, Natalie was alone in the bunker. She spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and dishes before curiosity got the better of her and she was too many google searches in to stop the small pang of jealousy that hit her as she learned what little information she could find about this 'Charlie'. The cute redhead was smart and apparently a hunter too if what Sam and Dean were saying earlier was true. This was the kind of girl they were used to dealing with. It was now obvious why they never wanted her to tag along on hunts, never even offered. She didn't realize how much it was eating at her until she heard her phone ring in the middle of vigorously scrubbing the kitchen floor.

"What?" She snapped, her voice echoing off the industrial walls.

"Easy tiger," Dean's voice was laced with concern. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, what do you want?" Her tone still had some bite, but she tried to smooth it over with a deep breath.

"The Impala's busted, I had it towed to a garage." She almost laughed at the frustration in his tone. "I need you to bring it to me."

"What?" She asked, all her anger gone and replaced by utter confusion.

"I'll text you the address, just give them the credit card Sam gave you and drive it to Berto's Ale House in Topeka." Natalie nodded as she took in the information. "Natalie."

"Yeah, okay. I can do that." She barely got out before the line was disconnected. A few seconds later she got a text with an address.

SPN*spn*SPN

Charlie was in the middle of explaining the differences between her and 'dark Charlie' when she noticed the blonde standing at the entrance with a lost expression on her face. Even though she was the 'good one' there was no ignoring the woman biting her lower lip as she scanned the bar.

"Poor girl," Charlie sighed as her eyes ran over the large man's t-shirt knotted at the woman's waist showing off a toned middle, down to the worn tight bootcut jeans. Her words had the brothers' following her gaze.

"Awesome," Dean growled with an eye roll as he saw Natalie standing there with her hands in her back pockets again. He noticed she'd drawn the attention of other people in the bar, mostly men and stood from the table, making his way towards her. "Natalie." She let out a breath and smiled as she heard her name. "Keys."

"Wow, no 'thank's Natalie' or 'I owe you one, Natalie'? Just 'keys'." She said imitating his voice. He leveled her with a glare and she decided to hand the keys over without a fight.

Charlie sent Sam a questioning look as she watched Dean grip the blonde's arm and pull her to the table. "It's a long story." Sam sighed.

"Charlie, Natalie. Natalie, Charlie." Dean said introducing the two women.

"Nice to meet you," Natalie smiled as she shook the redhead's hand.

"You two start on the money trail. I'm getting refills." Dean announced, picking up the glasses and motioning for Natalie to follow.

"Okay, I wasn't going to say anything, but you are vibrating." Natalie emphasized the last word as she slid against the bar beside Dean. "I know you're trying to manage this on your own, but Dean there are actual waves coming off you."

Dean ordered the next round of drinks, throwing in a club soda and lime for Natalie. She decided to ignore the fact that he knew her order without asking. Stepping into Dean's space, she reached out and gripped his wrist that hung at his side.

"Let me help you. I promise I won't use a lot, just enough to cut the edge off." Staring up at him, Natalie tried her best to convince him with her big brown eyes. Finally, Dean gave her a small nod and she let out the breath she was holding. "Give me your arm."

"You have my arm." He lifted where her hand was still wrapped around his wrist.

"It'll have more of an affect if I'm closer to the mark." He placed his arm on the bar and Natalie subtly ran her hand from his wrist to elbow. She watched him closely to see the change in his demeanor and wasn't disappointed when he began to relax, his head dipping to rest against the top of hers.

"Okay, Sabrina." He cleared his throat, and pulled away from her. She gave him a small smile, following him back to the table with two of the drinks.

"I'm hungry," Natalie said as she slid into the seat beside Dean because Sam and Charlie were now sitting side by side.

"Of course you are." Dean sighed as she glanced at the two across from them who nodded in agreement.

Sam and Charlie worked hard hacking into the financial files. Natalie focused on her food and tried to ignore Dean's groan as he watched her eat the burger and fries while grimacing at the salad in front of him. Charlie watched the pair in front of her as she walked Sam through the financial records. She found their relationships interesting, she'd always thought Dean was more of a play the field kind of guy a little like she used to be. It was strange watching them, and she smiled slightly at the sound of Dean's soft chuckle as the blonde leaned against his side, his arm wrapped around her as he helped keep her balance. She slipped away from the table, heading for the restrooms, Charlie followed her with her eyes.

"She okay? All she's had to drink is club soda and she's wobbling like a sorority girl." Charlie asked, turning back to the table to find that Dean had been keeping an eye on the woman as well.

"She's fine," he said absently.

"Russel Wellington." Sam's voice broke the two up, drawing their attention back to the reason for their meeting. He walked them through the money trail before laying out the evidence that this was in fact that man that had killed Charlie's parents. Both brother's knew this was as far as they could let Charlie go. They knew what it was like to go after the person, or thing, that killed your parents and that wasn't a road they wanted their friend to go down.

"Dudes, secrets are bad." Charlie called out as the two tried to escape the table to discuss their options.

"I don't think you should be anywhere around this piece of crap salesman." Dean said.

"And I don't think finding dark Charlie and locking her up is going to work. She maybe dark, but she's still a part of you." Sam continued.

"You're right, I hate it, but you're right. So let's go to the bunker. Maybe there's something in the Men of Letter's files about the key." Charlie agreed with a small smile to the two men.

"You two go do that, and I'm going to keep an on eye Russell and wait for dark Charlie to show up."

"Are you sure? Maybe I should…" Sam cut his brother off.

"What's going on?" Natalie asked, noticing Dean holding his jacket and sending him a questioning look. "Did you find something?"

"Yeah, you're going to head back to the bunker with Sam and Charlie." She raised an eyebrow at the commanding tone he used before her eyes flicked over to the two other's watching them.

"I think I should go with you. Two and two, seems fair." She argued. "You might need me there."

"She's right Dean." Sam cut in. "You have to protect Russell and dark Charlie, if anything happens to her…"

"It happens to me." Charlie finished.

"Got it. Come on," he motioned for Natalie to follow. She smiled at the remaining pair before following Dean out the door.

"What's going on there?" Charlie asked as she stared after the couple.

"I'll tell you on the way." Sam said.

SPN*spn*SPN

"Why are you trying to go cold turkey?" Natalie asked as she leaned against the passenger seat of the Impala. "I get the 3 step plan or whatever, but I think pushing me away is a bad idea."

"We're not talking about this." Dean said as he opened a box of almonds.

"So we're going to sit here in silence the entire time?"

"That would be something, wouldn't it?" He shot her a glare before looking back out the window.

"You're a Katy Perry song, Dean Winchester." She muttered to herself before picking up a handful of almonds for herself and focusing her attention outside of the car.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"This morning you were doing everything you could to avoid me, back at the restaurant you couldn't keep your hands off me, and now it's back to jabs and glares. The back and forth is cute in Rom-Coms, but in real life it's a dick move. Just admit that you like me and move on."

"Like you," he scoffs at her.

"Yeah, I'm not the evil witch you originally thought I was. We're allowed to be friends Dean. It's okay if you find me the least bit tolerable to be around."

"Friends?"

"Friends, I'll even settle for acquaintances if that makes you feel better. But I like to think of us as being friends, Dean. You can be fun to have around when you're properly medicated with booze and grease." She offered him a wide smile, one that caused the corners of her eyes to crinkle slightly and he found himself repeating the word 'friends' over and over in his head.

"I think I can handle acquaintances."

They returned to silence, one that neither of them could stand. Dean put in a tape, causing Natalie to roll her eyes at the self-help pep talk flowing through the speakers. Natalie felt herself drifting off curled onto the passenger seat. She was jarred away as Dean shook her legs.

"Hey, he's here. Stay in the car, call me if you see dark Charlie."

Natalie nodded as she sat up and stretched as best she could in the confines of the front seat. She slid over behind the wheel as she watched Dean walk into the office building. Playing with the radio was the only thing keeping her from falling back to sleep. She'd never admit it out loud, but with Dean refusing her help with the mark, made her a little rusty with the side effects of using magic. What little she'd done back that the restaurant was taking a lot longer for her to recover from than before.

It was getting dark, and Natalie was typing out a text to Dean asking what was going on inside when she felt the cold bite of metal against her neck.

"You're new." Dark Charlie said, opening the door and pulling Natalie out of the front seat. "Come on, you don't want to miss this."


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm still kind of new to this, but I think I like the other Charlie better." Natalie said as she tried once again to pull away from the tip of dark Charlie's knife. "You seem like a badass, but this is a little on the crazy side. Is the knife really necessary?"

"I guess not." She said, pulling the knife from Natalie's throat, but only a few inches. "But it will keep Dean on a leash."

"Funny, he'll probably see this as a Christmas present."

The pair moved through the building, Natalie trying to keep her focus as Charlie moved with purpose. She stood by as Charlie cut the power to the building, plunging it into complete darkness. Once the emergency lights flashed on, the knife was back to her throat and the women were moving again. Charlie stopped outside of one of the offices, keeping Natalie close.

"Charlie," Dean called out as came out of the office. He locked eyes on Natalie for a moment before turning his gaze back to Charlie. "Let's talk about this. Put the knife down." He watched as the red head pressed the blade closer to Natalie's throat.

"You Winchester boys and your talk. Blah, blah, blah, repressed feelings; blah, blah, blah passive aggression." She glanced at Natalie by her side and smirked. "You know what I mean right?"

"Come on kiddo, you don't want to do this." Dean took a few more steps towards the women.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, I just want to talk."

"Your track record's not helping your case, put the knife down. This has nothing to do with her." Charlie stood, leaving Natalie seated behind her.

"You're right, I got out of hand. But this was never about revenge. I want him to see my face, see what he's done to me, to us. That's all. Please Dean, I deserve that. And then we can hand him over to the cops." Charlie handed the blade over to him.

"Okay." Dean said taking the blade and stepping out of her way. He watched her walk towards the door, keeping it within his eye-line, but glanced at Natalie. "You good?"

"I'm fine. Are you sure this is a good idea?" She moved to stand beside him. Both watching the conversation taking place. She flinched when she felt the rough pad of his thump swipe across her neck.

"You're bleeding." He held out his hand to show her the red liquid coating his finger. Natalie reached up and cover the area with her palm, turning away from him as she muttered under her breath. He reached out wrapping an arm around her waist as she swayed slightly beside him, eyes going wide when she removed her hand to show nothing put the faint smear of blood.

"Good as new." She relaxed against his side, turning her attention back to the open office.

"Jesus, Natalie." He sighed, but continued to twirl the knife in his hands.

They both snapped to attention when they heard the bang of the door closing. Dean was moving across the space, Natalie caught herself on the cabinet he was leaning against as he watched him hit the door. Hearing the window break, he finally kicked it down. Natalie was by his side, leaning against the doorframe as he entered to find Russell dead in his chair and the back window with a Charlie shaped hole in it.

"This is bad, right?" Natalie spoke up as she watched the tension build in his shoulders.

"Yeah, come on. We've got to get out of here."

They were silent once they were back in the Impala. Natalie kept to herself as she listened to Dean tell Sam and Charlie what happened. She expected a long drive to whatever address Sam was going to be sending Dean, so she curled up in the passenger seat. After only a few minutes, he slowed the car down and cut off the engine.

He didn't say a word to her as he got out of car and headed into the bar. It took Natalie a few minutes to collect herself before she was slowly following him inside. It should've surprised her to see him sitting with a shot of dark liquid in front of him, but she knew after the day he'd just had there was no way he was keeping to his straight and narrow path.

"None of this was your fault, Dean." She said as she slid onto the stool beside him. She ordered a water for herself as she watched the man beside her. "Shouldn't we be meeting Sam and Charlie?"

"In a minute." He kept his eyes on the shot in front of him, rolling it between his fingers.

"What happened to your three steps?"

"We're not playing twenty questions." He barked at her. Natalie swiveled in the stool to face him, placing her hand on his forearm and keeping her grip tight in order to stop him from pulling away.

"You have so much weight on your shoulders, I don't know how you get out of bed in the morning. But with the mark, everything piece of guilt you pile on is only going to aggravate the symptoms." Dean tilted his head slightly, glancing at her. The conviction he saw in her eyes reminded him of all time times Sam had tried to get through to him. "I know you won't talk to Sam, or even Castiel about this, but there's me. You don't want me using magic all the time, fine. But you need to get some of this off your chest or it's going to keep eating away at you."

"Got anything else to say, Dr. Phil?" He turned to face her head on, flexing his arm beneath her hands to try and relieve the grip she had on him.

"Yeah, I don't want you adding me to that pile of shit you think you need to protect or control." She said, pulling away from him and placing her hands on her cool glass of water. "I'm not your problem, Dean. I can take care of myself, always have."

She stood, landing in the space between their stools. She reached across him and threw the shot back before replacing it in front of him. He watched her head over to the pool tables, easily working her way into a small group of men in the middle of a game. If it was any other night Dean would be impressed by her boldness. Instead he found himself watching her every move in the mirror behind the bar. A week ago, he would have said he was just attached to her, because she was hot and ran around in flimsy clothes in yoga poses. But now he was seeing a completely different side to her. Natalie cared about people, and more importantly she cared about people he loved. She seemed to even care about him.

"She's cute." Charlie drawled as she slid into the seat Natalie had vacated. Dean glanced once more back at Natalie before turning his attention on Charlie.

"You hurt her, and you lied to me." Dean growled at her.

"She looks just fine from here. And you lied to yourself. It's kind of your move. Something's off about you though. Wouldn't have anything to do with her would it?" Charlie turned smirking as she watched Natalie line up a shot at the pool tables.

"I meant what I said, leave her out of this. I've made mistakes, but I'll pay for mine. And you'll have to pay for yours."

"Come on Dean, I'm not the monster here. He was. He got what he deserved, and you know I'm right." He couldn't help glancing to the side again, getting a glimpse of Natalie. She'd moved to the other side of the table, leaning on the pool cue but her eyes were already on him before flicking over to the red head. "You know what I learned about being dark? It sets you free. And part of you knows I'm right."

The bartender came by to refill their shot glasses. Charlie opening appraising the young woman. Dean nearly flinched when he felt Natalie slide into the seat on his other side, but he refused to acknowledge her, especially since she'd drawn Charlie's attention.

"Alright, listen dark Charlie." Dean began.

"Oh grow up. There's no right, there's no wrong. There's just us or them."

"There's not going to be a you for very much longer." Dean told her with a smug smile.

"Uh oh, did princess me find another way back to Oz?"

"A former man of letters, retired two towns over. They're going to fix the key to Oz and send you back where you belong."

"Back into Charlie. Is that where I belong? Well, we'll just see won't we?" She eyed Natalie as she slid off her seat. Giving her a once over with a wicked smile she turned back to Dean. "Since she's apparently spoken for, I'll just see if I can't get a dance from that bartender."

Dean watched her walk into the back room before tearing his eyes away and picking up his shot. "You lied to her." Natalie smirked as she stared back at him.

"Bought us some time. You should call a cab, have them take you back to the bunker." He said glancing over at her and was not surprised to see the glare shooting his way.

"Not going to happen. First of all I'm not paying a fare that big, and secondly I like Charlie, good Charlie, and I want to help her. I told you before Dean, I'm all in. You can't keep me on the sidelines and pull me in when shit gets tough."

"I don't want you around the tough shit. That's when it's dangerous, and you're not ready for that."

"How do you know what I'm ready for?" She asked as she leaned closer to him across the counter.

"Maybe it's me." He breathed out and lifted his drink to his lips. The bartender reappeared at that moment, halting his actions. "What happened, did my friend strike out?"

"You're friend went out the back door."

At that moment, Dean and Natalie turned at the sound of the Impala's engine revving from the parking lot. He was on his feet and moving out of the building before Natalie could slide off her stool. She met him in the parking lot, watching as he yelled at Sam through the phone and tried to open nearby car door. Taking a deep breath she slid into the space between two cars and gripped one of the handles. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard the locks click open.

"Dean," she called and slid over the driver's seat to the passenger as he got in. She had the car running before he even ended the phone call. He turned to glare at her but she beat him to the lecture she knew was coming. "I know what you're going to say, but let's skip that and get to Sam and Charlie before she does. I promise I'll let you yell at me when all this is over."

He pulled out of the parking lot, and was planning on ignoring what she said. As he glanced over to the passenger seat, he let out a scoff as he saw her already curled up and breathing heavily. It was a signature pose by now.

Natalie let the motion of the car sooth her into a semi-sleep. She hadn't felt this drained since the days she was bartending and dealing magic. She had every intention of staying in the car when Dean finally made it to the house, but the sound of a gunshot had her jumping out of the car and following after him. They both paused when they heard the familiar rumble of the Impala pull up.

"Get inside." He said, pushing her towards the steps of the porch.

"I think I should stay out here." She argued, watching dark Charlie walk towards them.

"Figured you'd lie about where to go next. That's what I would do."

"What do you want?" Natalie asked, taking a few steps towards her but Dean made sure to stay between the two women.

"I just want to talk to her." Charlie gave her pleading look.

"Oh you're not going anywhere near her. I'm not going to let you corrupt her." Dean cut in.

"Corrupt her?"

"You take one more step, I'm going to put you down." Natalie reached out and squeezed his arm, but he shook her off.

"There's the Dean I love." Charlie smirked.

"Don't do this." Natalie pleaded as she stepped closer to the two.

"Oh sweetie, it's too late." Charlie smiled.

"Not you," she hissed, trying to hold Dean's stare. "Don't."

He threw the first punch before Natalie even had time to take a step back. She watched as the two fought on the lawn, wincing every time he landed a solid hit on the girl. It wasn't the first time she'd watched Dean in a fight. The first time she'd met him he was going twelve rounds with Cole. It terrified her that it seemed he was going just as hard against the woman in front of him now, a woman that was still physically connected to a close friend. She knew she couldn't get between them to physically break them up, but if she could get close enough she could possibly calm Dean down. Her moment came when he shoved Charlie away from him.

"Dean, stop." She rushed towards him, wrapping a hand around his wrist. Before she could work any kind of spell, he was shoving her away from him with excessive force. She caught herself on the porch railing, turning away from the pair as he caught Charlie's arm and snapped it.

Charlie went down easier after that. Natalie almost let out a sigh of relief when she landed on the ground and didn't immediately get back up. That thought was short lived as she saw Dean stalking towards her. Natalie was on her feet and moving towards him as he laid a series of punches to her face. "No, Dean." She yelled, landing in a space between them. She braced herself and closed her eyes as she sent a wave of energy between them, knocking him back and causing her to crumble on the damp ground.

"Dean," Sam called out and he hurried down the steps with Charlie in his arms.

Natalie forced herself to her feet, only making it a few feet away from where Sam was lying Charlie down before she felt her legs give out. Dean was there to catch her, but his attention was on the two identical women in front of him. She reached down and placed her hand over his that held her up around the waist. He relaxed slightly as her fingers moved over his raw and bloodied skin. It didn't last long, she stopped when little black dots began to swim across her vision. She probably would be lucky to make it to the car before passing out from exhaustion.

The three watched as the amulet began to glow and the two women became one again. She could feel Dean strain to move forward, but he held himself back allowing his brother to go to her instead. Natalie felt a tear fall from her tired eyes as she watched the broken girl in front of her and the man allowing his guilt to eat him alive beside her. She let out a quiet sob before her world went dark.

SPN*spn*SPN

There was an incessant beeping that finally pulled Natalie back to consciousness. She still felt weak, but her eyes weren't nearly as heavy as they had been the last time she kept them open. Blinking against the bright light, she easily deduced she wasn't in the bunker.

"Hey," Sam spoke softly as he crossed the room and leaned over the bed she was on.

"Where am I?" She asked, swallowing hard against her dry mouth. Glancing in the direction he'd came from, she saw another bed beside her where Charlie lay with a cast and bandages covering her injuries.

"We took you both to the ER. Charlie needed her arm fixed and we couldn't wake you." He explained, glancing back over to the other woman.

"We," she quirked an eyebrow as she gestured to the room. "Where's Dean?"

"Back at the bunker." He said with a heavy breath. "Let me tell the doctors you're awake."

"Think they'll let me out of here?" She asked hopefully. "I'm not really a fan of hospitals."

"I'll see what I can do." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead before walking out of the room.

By the time a doctor was able to come in and check on Natalie, Charlie was also awake. Sam was able to convince the physician that he was more than capable of taking care of both woman and got them released. Natalie and Charlie had their arms wrapped around each other as they made the slow trek to the waiting Impala. Both sliding into the back seat in order to get more rest, by laying against each other.

Charlie was completely out of it by the time Sam pulled the Impala into the bunker garage. With the help of Natalie he was able to get her out of the back seat without waking her. She followed behind as he carried the unconscious woman up the stairs. He headed in the direction of the bedrooms while Natalie made her way to the kitchen. As she walked through the bunker, she couldn't help but scan every room for the older brother.

Stepping into the kitchen, she came to a stop as she finally saw him leaning over the sink. It was moments like this that she wished she could read him better. The hunch of his shoulders and stiff ridge of his back made him look almost statuesque. She could feel the waves coming off of him, mostly guilt and anger. Her instincts were telling her to go to him, but a bigger part, self-preservation maybe, was telling her to retreat deeper into the bunker. She decided to bite the bullet and continued her way into the room.

"You up for that lecture I was promised?" She tried to sound nonchalant as she opened the refrigerator to take out a bottle of water.

"Maybe later," he choked out. It sounded as if he hadn't spoken in days. She furrowed her brow as she took a closer look at his disheveled appearance.

"Have you slept at all?" She asked, unconsciously reaching out to pull his face to the side and inspect the purple skin. He pulled away before she was able to make it halfway.

"You're the one that needs rest." He said, making a quick retreat to the door.

Dean kept his distance from the women as they recovered. Charlie slept most of the time, she woke around noon to eat something but was asleep again within the hour. Natalie tried to keep her normal schedule, but she didn't have the energy for her early morning workouts and was taking naps every few hours. She was almost back to her normal self by the second day, though she still forwent her run. Dean was almost ashamed that he was glad to see her that morning making coffee. He didn't even shy away from her touch when she placed her hand on his arm for a minute or two before leaving the room with two cups off steaming liquid.

Natalie slipped into one of the many empty bedrooms they had in the bunker to see Charlie struggling to pull her sweater on over her cast. She set down the cups before helping her friend.

"Thank you," Charlie smiled at the blonde while accepting a cup. "I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together."

"Me too, it was nice meeting another girl that's in the boys' club." Natalie giggled. "Maybe next time?"

"Definitely." She promised taking hold of her small bag.

Natalie smiled sweetly, taking the bag from her and leading the way out of the room and down the hall to where they knew the boys were researching. Both of them slowed their steps as they felt the hallway getting shorter.

"There's a longer way around, if you need a minute." Natalie offered up. Charlie smiled in appreciation, and nodded slightly as the blonde made a turn and looped around to another long hallway. "You probably already know this, but he's beating himself up over it."

"I would expect nothing less." Charlie sighed. "I forgive him. I know the mark is the problem."

"They're really good guys, aren't they?" Natalie stopped, watching Charlie for a reaction. The smile she received was proof enough, but she felt a weight lift when Charlie spoke.

"They are. I'm lucky to have met them, considering." She laughed as she lifted her arm that was currently in a sling. "They're my brothers. And I love them."

Charlie sped up after her admission, seeming to overcome whatever was holding her back only moments before. Natalie smiled as she watched her head straight for Sam, sparing a glance into the library where Dean sat. Natalie stayed in the archway, watching this woman say goodbye to her brothers. It brought a smile to her face, but also put a weight on her chest.

They had chosen to bring Charlie into their lives. She was a friend, family even. Natalie was a tool they could use. She was an asset they had acquired. It was suddenly painfully obvious that one day they wouldn't need her anymore and what would happen when that day came was a nightmare she really didn't want to think about just yet.


	6. Chapter 6

After the events with Dark Charlie, Natalie found herself slipping down into a dark place. She hadn't felt like this since first meeting the Winchesters. The only difference this time was that it was her own doing. Her self isolation was purposely building a wall between her and the brothers. It was better this way, she tried to convince herself.

Natalie woke up slowly as her brain fought against the dreams of a life before. It was mornings like this that always disoriented her. All she wanted to do was burrow into the covers and hide from the nightmare she was living. She finally had to put her foot down and opt out of research mode. There was no way she could read one more book about Cain and all the evil he did. It was beginning to mess with her mind.

She was just getting back into her old routine of morning yoga before making breakfast for the boys. Glancing at her clock she knew this would be the time to get up, but today felt more like a sleep in kind of day. Still securely buried under her blankets, Natalie groaned when light flooded her room as her door flew open.

"Natalie," Dean called out from her doorway.

He had been avoiding her since Charlie left, which made the avoiding him plan easier. The only time he saw her was when she brought food and coffee into his room. It was the first day in a week that she wasn't there in the morning with a coffee, smile, and all too familiar brush to his arm. He'd never admit it out loud, but he was addicted to those few seconds of relief and it only forced him to work harder at finding a way to remove the mark.

"Go away." She whined into her pillow.

"It's almost noon, sweetheart. You feeling alright?" He cautiously moved further into the room, putting her usual coffee mug on her nightstand.

"Awesome, go away please." She rolled over and burrowed further into her pillow.

"Wanna tell me what's going on?" Dean sighed as he took a sip of his own coffee.

"Sleepy." He cracked a smile at her childish behavior. He didn't want to read into why she seemed to be the only one to pull a smile out of him lately. Placing his cup beside hers, he sat on the edge of her mattress.

"Natalie," Dean tried to coax her to turn back towards him.

"No, Dean." She sighed as she threw the blankets off of her. Her eyes flashed angrily as she finally sat up and faced him. "I need some time to myself. Sorry if that interferes with your schedule, but I'm not you're slave. All I wanted was to spend a few more hours in bed. Is it wrong for me to want just a few hours to myself? The last thing I want to do is wake up and start reading about demons and murder before its nine in the morning."

"Hey," he placed his hands out to calm her rising temper. "I'm worried about you, that's all."

"Don't be," she said with a sigh. "Sorry I went off on you." He gave her a soft smile as he scooted further onto the bed.

Natalie shifted to allow him more room on the tiny mattress. Once he was settled, she placed her hand on his arm, her fingers moving gently over his warm skin. They both relaxed against her headboard, he removed his arm from her touch and placed it around her shoulders.

"Can you pass me my coffee?" She asked, turning into his side.

Dean reached over and passed the warm cup to her. Sitting in silence, they drank slowly from their mugs. It felt as though it was the first time in a week that either was able to just be. She knew the pressure was on to remove the mark, but she was in over her head. Dean was working himself to the bone trying to find any viable option in getting control back from the mark. In a moment driven by pure empathy, Natalie lifted her hand to her shoulder and wrapped her fingers around his. It was the first time she initiated a touch that wasn't laced with any magic.

"How long are you staying hidden in here?" Dean asked around his mug.

"I don't know, all day? You spend at least a good nine hours holed up in yours." She shrugged, turning to give him a pointed look.

Dean smirked behind his mug, before placing it back on the table. His arm tightened around her as she burrowed into his side.

"I'm not exactly a role model." He sighed, taking her cup as well. Her arms wrapped around his stomach as she placed her head against his chest. His muscles twisted at the feeling of her tight grip on him. It would be easy to chalk the reaction up to the fact he hadn't been with a woman in at least a month, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it had more to do with the specific girl currently wrapped around him.

"Dean?" Sam called from the hall.

"Yeah, I'm in here." Natalie began to pull away, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. Dean's arm fell to the mattress, unconsciously resting his hand against her hip.

"Hey guys," Sam said as he glance at the pair. "Everything okay in here?"

"I wasn't feeling well." Natalie gave a weak smile.

"You need anything?" He asked as he moved closer to her.

"I'm fine, promise." She smiled and got to her feet before padding her way to the attached bathroom.

"What did you need?" Dean asked his brother.

"Got a case." With that he headed out of the room. Dean hesitated before getting to his feet. Pausing beside the bathroom, he gently rapped on the door.

"Nat," he called out.

She nudged the door open with her barefoot as she continued brushing her teeth. Dean couldn't stop the warm smile that crossed his face at how adorable she looked with messy hair and foaming mouth.

"Sammy found a case." Natalie pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth and spit the excess into her sink. Dean had to turn away to hide a laugh at the sight.

"What?" She asked with a smile.

"Nothing," he began to turn around but paused. "Is that Sam's shirt?"

Natalie unconsciously pulled at the long shirt. "I forgot to give it back." She shrugged.

"We'll get you some PJ's of your own." He promised before walking out.

She spent a few minutes staring at her reflection in the mirror, the brother's voices echoed through the bunker their argument growing louder the longer they spoke. She decided instead of stepping in she was going back to the comfort of her bed. Wrapped warmly in her blankets, Natalie pulled the pillow Dean had rested against towards her. A pit formed in her stomach as she felt herself breathe in his scent. It was terrifying to know how easily she'd become comfortable around these two men. At some point, she'd fallen back to sleep, only to be woken to a rough shake on her shoulder.

"Come on, Natalie." Dean's gruff voice broke through her dreams.

"Go away." She whined pulling the pillow closer to her face.

"Don't do this again, Nat." Dean took hold of her arm and pulled her from the blankets.

"Damn it, Dean." She screamed as she fell to the cold bunker floor. "What the hell?"

"You're coming with us." He told her.

"What? Where?" She asked as she glared up at him.

"We could use you on this one." He glanced down at her still sprawled on the floor. Her shirt had ridden up, exposing the taut lines of her stomach and the small lacy underwear that were hidden beneath the material.

"Of course you could." She rolled her eyes and pushed off the floor. "Give me fifteen minutes and I'll meet you at the car.

"Can we talk about all the moping?" Dean asked as he watched her put together a duffle bag.

"I'm not moping." She defended. "I'm tired, and you're one to talk."

"Sam's already beat that dead horse, how about you leave it alone?" He sighed, running his hand over his face.

"Fine, then get out so I can change."

She pushed him towards the door, before moving to the bathroom. He watched as she pulled the oversized shirt over her head and decided then that he had to get all of Sam's clothes out of her room.

"Okay what's going on?" She called out as she bounced down the stairs in the garage.

"Disappearances," Sam said. He threw his bag into the trunk and reached for hers. "Maybe you can locate them."

"Awesome. That seems to be my specialty." She sighed before sliding into the backseat.

"Hey, Sam you've got a lot of research to do why don't you spread out in the back? Nat can navigate." Dean said as he held the door open. Sam shared a look with his brother before agreeing. Natalie slid out of the back, narrowing her eyes at Dean. "You're a cuter passenger." He said lowly as he closed her door.

"You just don't want me to sleep. But jokes on you, if I'm shotgun then I won't be sharing snacks." She held up a bag of tiny chocolate covered donuts as she slid in through the driver's door.

Sam let out a soft chuckle as he moved to the backseat. Once they were all settled in, Natalie turned to offer Sam food. He waved her off as Dean scoffed as he drove through the tunnel. It was a long drive and Sam was surprised when Dean allowed Natalie to pick the cassettes to listen to. He waited until they stopped for gas to mention any of this to his brother.

"Okay, what's going on?" Sam asked his brother as Natalie ran into the store.

"What're you talking about?" Dean brushed him off.

"Dude, you let her listen to REO Speedwagon for two hours. She ate all the snacks, and had her feet on the dash. She was totally goading you." Sam laughed.

"I don't know what's going on with her." Dean sighed. "She didn't want to get out of bed and blew up at me when I asked her about it."

"Maybe she's still recovering?" Sam suggested. Before Dean could respond, Natalie came out of the gas station with a twizzler between her lips and a sack full of other assorted foods.

"Wanna switch?" She asked Sam and threw him a water bottle.

"Sure," he laughed as she sighed in relief and flung herself across the backseat.

SPN*spn*SPN

Natalie leaned against the trunk of the Impala as the brother's talk with a 'witness' and she's using the word loosely. She watched as both brothers walked away from the man and head back in her direction. The frustration was clear on Dean's face and she tried to stop the urge of walking towards him. It might be childish, but she wasn't going to be the one melting into his arms every time he seemed to need a little comfort.

"He said aliens, didn't he?" She asked with a smirk as the two finally made it back to the car. Dean gave her an eye roll but confirmed her suspicion with a small nod.

"Alight, I'll go scope out JP's place. You ask around inside." Sam offered pausing as he watched his brother's reaction. "Or you know, we don't have to split up."

"No, no. I can handle a little twenty question with the locals." Dean said with that look on his face that always seemed to placate Sam, but Natalie was beginning to see right through. She pushed off the Impala and took a few steps towards the brothers.

"Are you sure?" Sam wanted that extra reassurance.

"Yeah, it's a dive bar. It's my comfort zone." Dean held up the keys to his brother.

"Guys, you're forgetting about the cute third wheel." Natalie raised her hand to remind them of her presence. "I think I was told I was needed."

"Right, you stay with me. We'll set you up in the back and see if you can locate this guy." Dean told her, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her towards the bar.

As soon as they broke the threshold, Dean gave her a little push forward to create more distance between them. Natalie took the hint and moved away towards a small booth in a secluded corner as he moved directly to the bar. She wanted to stop him the second she saw the whiskey placed in front of him, instead she pulled out the map she'd bought at the gas station and one of her black candles.

She ordered cheese fries and a club soda before she carefully lit the candle and watched as the black wax dripped onto the map. Occasionally her eyes would flash over to where Dean had been sitting at the bar. There was a brief moment of panic when she glanced up and didn't see him in the same seat, but a quick look around the bar she was able to spot him at a table with the girl he'd been talking to.

"She your girlfriend?" Tina asked with a glance over her shoulder to the small booth drawing Dean's attention away from the conversation every few minutes.

"What?" Dean laughed lightly.

"I'm sorry, but you keep glancing over there. She's cute."

"It's not like that." Dean said, clearing his throat. "We work together. She's still new at this."

"Well, it's pretty obvious you care about her. This has been fun and all, but you haven't smiled at me like you have been looking at her." Dean was about to object when his cell phone went off.

Tina gave him an apologetic smile as she stood from the table. "I should get out of here before you fall madly in love with me. I wouldn't want to piss off your girl."

"You gonna be alright?" He couldn't help but ask. She gave him a salute before heading out the door.

Natalie glanced up just as Dean headed out the door as well. Quickly she gathered all her things and threw a few bills down on the table to cover her afternoon spent in the bar.

"Dean?" Natalie called out as exited the door to follow Dean into the parking lot. Heading around the corner, she saw two piles of clothes. She let out an uncomfortable laugh and turned back to the building, her mind already jumping to the only conclusion she could when Dean chased after a woman. Before she could turn the corner, a heavy step caught her attention and she whipped around to see a large man. He growled at her, reaching for the pouch around his neck. Natalie instantly recognized what it was.

"Wait," she yelled throwing her hands up. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and tried to remember every detail of the motel room before reciting a Latin phrase and feeling the rush of falling.

"Natalie." Sam called out as he opened the motel room door. He'd just spent the better part of an hour looking around the bar for both of them and here she was passed out on the floor.

Quickly, he moved to kneel beside the woman in a crumpled heap. He adjusted her position to accommodate the awkward way she'd fallen. Her face was pale and her skin had a chill to it. He'd only seen her this bad once and they'd had to take her to a hospital to get her out of it last time.

"Hey, hey." Sam tried to wake her. He put two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. "Natalie, come on. Wake up sweetheart."

"Sam," she croaked. Crying out as she tried to push up on her left ar.

"What happened, where's Dean?" He asked, holding her up against his chest.

"Gone," she said before going limp against him.

Sam carefully lifted her into his arms, carrying her into the adjoining room and lay her across the closest bed. He brushed her hair out of her face, before checking her pulse again to find it slow but strong. He glanced down at her arm, frowning at the deep bruising and swelling already setting in. He'd have to get her to take a few aspirin when she woke up. Until then, he settled for placing ice wrapped in a towel against her arm and propped it up on a pillow beside her.

Happy with the fact that she was safe for the time being, Sam went back to work researching. Every little noise from the bedroom, had him taking the five steps to stand in to doorway to check on her. The longer Dean was missing and Natalie remained unconscious, the more Sam felt like he was losing control of the situation.

A knock on the motel door had him out of his chair, but also keeping a close eye on Natalie. He was surprised to see a teenager leaning against the doorframe. There was something strangely familiar about him, but Sam knew there was no way he could have seen this kid before.

"Can I help you?"

"Hey Sammy." He said with a smirk.

"Dean?" Sam stood shocked as he watched the boy move into the room. Dean's focus was on the woman laid out on the bed in the next room. He didn't even pause to explain things to his brother, all he could see was the still body laid across the sheets.

"What the hell happened to her?" He said through gritted teeth.

"I don't know. I went to look for you at the bar, when I could find either of you I came back here. She was already unconscious on the floor." He watched as his brother stood closely beside her, his hand twitched to reach out but never left his side. "I've been keeping an eye on her, she must have drained herself using a spell."

"She'll be okay, though?" Dean asked as he almost gave in to brush back a stray curl.

"I hope so." Sam tried to sound confident. "You should probably check her pulse again."

Dean sighed as his fingers brushed her hair off her neck before pressing against her pulse point. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hand flattening against the side of her throat.

"Dean, you want to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Sam spoke softly, trying to pull his brother's attention to more pressing matters.

"Yeah, grab the gear. I'll tell you on the way." Dean said as he stood to distance himself from the bed.

"Okay, let's go." Sam said. He watched Dean hesitate and glance back at Natalie. "She'll be fine, Dean."

"Yeah," Dean picked up a gun and headed for the door.

Natalie hissed as she leaned up on the mattress. The small gasp she let out, stopped Dean at the doorway. On shaky legs, she pushed herself off the mattress and moved towards the voices.

"Sam, Dean?" she called out softly as she leaned against the door.

"Hey, stay in bed." Dean moved towards her quickly to help her get stable under her feet. Her face scrunched as she got her first good look at him and a soft smile graced her lips.

"Dean? You look cute." She smiled and reached out to touch his baby soft face. "How old are you?"

"Old enough." He smiled smoothly.

"Wow, please tell me you weren't always like this." She laughed softly before allowing him to help her back towards the bed. She sat on the sheets, still staring up at him a small smile.

"We're heading out. Get some rest." He made sure she was balanced before stepping away. "Stay here, shouldn't take long."

"The pouch." She said before he reached the door. "If you squeeze it, it'll reverse the effects. You'll be back to your burly self."

"Thanks, Nat." He said softly before walking out the door and locking her in.

The next thing she knew, Natalie was being woken by a hand gently turning her head to the side and warm fingers pressing against her neck. She moaned against the warmth as her eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurry to begin with, but it didn't take long for her to realize she was still in the motel room the brother's had left her in what felt like only minutes ago.

"Hey, there she is." Dean's voice was soft and she smiled at the deep gravelly timbre she had grown accustom to hearing.

"You're all grown up, again." She coughed against the dryness of her throat as she tried to prop herself up.

"Easy, Hocus Pocus." He reached out and helped her settle against the headboard before uncapping a water bottle for her. "What the hell happened earlier?"

She drank half the bottle before relaxing back against the bed and shutting her eyes with a heavy sigh. "When I noticed you run out of the bar, I followed. By the time I got outside you were already gone, but this big guy saw me. I recognized the smell first and then I saw the pouch. So I did the only thing I could and teleported the hell out of there."

"Teleported? You can teleport?" He asked running a hand over his face and muttering unintelligible words. "You could have died, Natalie."

"But I didn't. I knew how much juice I had left." She sat back up to argue. "This may come as a shock to you, Winchester, but I've been doing this a lot longer than we've known each other. I know my limits and surprisingly enough they're actually getting a lot further with the frequency I've been using being with you two."

She pulled her legs over the side of the bed and stood, swaying only slightly. Dean reached out to steady her, but Natalie swatted his hands away. He watched as she held her left arm close to her body and winced as she ran her fingers over the swollen wrist.

"We should get that looked at." He said, standing and moving further away from her.

"It's a sprain, I'll be fine in a few days." She noticed the packed bags by the door and took a step towards the bathroom. "I'm going to freshen up before we hit the road."

"Hey, Nat…" Dean took a few steps towards her but stopped when he noticed her back away just as quickly.

"I could've stayed in bed, Dean. You guys didn't need me for this." She sighed, keeping her gaze on her swollen and heated skin.

"Natalie," Dean closed the space between them as his hands came to gently cup her jaw and he tilted his head down slightly to catch her eyes. When he finally got her gaze locked on his he rewarded her with a small smile. "I needed you here."

He finally broke their stare and leaned in to press a quick kiss to her forehead before moving back to the bags. "Make it quick, we need to make a stop before we hit the road." Natalie watched him take her bag and his, leaving her taking in a shaky breath in the middle of the bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

Natalie slid out of the backseat and felt her entire body ache. She was still getting used to travelling for hours in the Impala. Sam and Dean were already unloading the trunk as she stretched out her back groaning at her vertebrae cracked with each move. The feeling of eyes on her drew her attention to the brothers. Sam was already making his way through the door to the bunker, shaking his head. Dean quickly turned away as soon as Natalie met his gaze.

"You'll get used to it." He said following his brother. She sighed and slowly made her way back into the bunker.

"God I hope not. I need a long hot shower and a bottle of whiskey followed by three days of unconsciousness." She said making her way down the hall to her room. She could hear Sam bark out a laugh behind her.

"How about you eat something first?" Dean called out to her.

"Sure, what are you making?" She paused to wait for his answer. Even Sam stopped to stare at his brother with a smirk on his face.

"Well, Natalie you are… I mean you can…" He shifted uncomfortably. Sam let out another laugh at his brother's awkward attempt to get a decent dinner out of the blonde woman.

"Really?" She whined. "Come on, I'm exhausted, and smell like leather and diesel."

Sam noticed the way Dean's eyes seemed to focus clearer on her, moving from her annoyed face down. It was amusing to watch his brother fight whatever he was beginning to feel towards Natalie. She dropped her bag and jacket on the floor where she stood before letting out a heavy sigh. She sent a tired glare towards Dean before making her way to the kitchen.

"I hope there's still good food in here." She yelled down the hall.

Dean hung his head for a moment before turning to follow her. He paused in the doorway, watching as she pulled out all the makings for a good sandwich. She leaned against the counter as she took in all the ingredients. Pushing off the frame, he moved towards her noticing that she stood a little straighter to try and hide her exhaustion.

"You want it toasted?" She asked with a small glare. He didn't answer her which only seemed to annoy her more. Eyes narrowed as she watched him move in beside her, Natalie jumped slightly when she felt his hands fall on her back. "Dean?"

"Just relax," he sighed as he let his fingers dig into her skin. "You're gonna be sore after the first few hunts."

Natalie sighed as she relaxed into his hands. "I wasn't this sore after working double shifts at the bar." She let out a small laugh.

"You were a waitress, right?" He asked as his hands moved a little lower to her hips as his thumbs dug into her lower back.

"Uh, yeah." She felt her eyes roll into the back of her head as she felt her muscles melt. "Dean, I actually was kind of hungry."

"Yeah," he cleared his throat and took a step away from her. "I can make a sandwich. Go shower. You smell like a garage." He slid her out of the way, taking in everything she'd pulled out for their meager dinner.

"Thought you'd be into that." She smirked as she watched him pull out bread slices. "I like mine toasted."

He turned to smile at her, nodding as he took two slices to the toaster. She couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in him from recent weeks. It was slightly unsettling, but she also couldn't complain. He was a completely different person from when she met him. "Why're you being so nice to me?" She asked with confusion.

"What're you talking about? I'm always nice."

"Right…I'm gonna get cleaned up."

"Hey," he called after her causing her to turn and stick her head back into the room. "Garage ain't bad on you."

"Well if it works for you," she smiled before disappearing down the hall. Dean stared at the space she left with a smile on his face, one that quickly disappeared as Sam came into view. His smile turned into a grimace at the look from his younger brother.

"Wow, you're really falling for her, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Dean sighed as the toast popped up and his focus returned to the food.

"You know we've never talked about this, but what happens when she wants to leave?"

"Leave?" Dean didn't even glance up.

"Cole kidnapped her, Dean. She had a life before all of this. Eventually she's gonna want to go back."

"Back to what? She worked at a dive bar and dished out love spells." He scoffed and cut the large sandwich in half with a pickle and chips on the side. Sam just stared at him in disbelief.

"After we find Cain, she's kind of free to do what she wants."

"She can do that now. We haven't locked her up in months." Dean explained. "She's happy here."

"She's happy? Dude, two weeks ago you had to literally drag her from bed. That's depression, Dean."

"Dean's depressed?" Natalie asked with a small laugh. Both brothers turned to see her coming into the kitchen. She rubbed a towel over her hair as she took a seat at the table. Sam turned back to watch his brother stare at the woman. "Is my sandwich done?"

"Here you go, needy." Dean sighed as he slid her plate across the table before sitting with his own.

Sam kept his distance, watching them from the counter as he made his own dinner. Dean took a bite, but his eyes narrowed at what Natalie was wearing. It was the same old t-shirt, tied around her hips with a pair of fitted shorts and tall socks. But Sam knew what bugged his brother, it was the fact that it was Sam's shirt she always wore.

"This is delicious," she said around a large mouthful. Sam laughed as Dean agreed with his own mouthful.

"It's been a long day, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Sam said, he moved to the table and kissed Natalie on the top of her head before leaving.

"Okay, now you're both acting weird." She let out a chuckle as she stood to put her plate in the sink. "Think you can handle cleaning up?"

"Come on, I cooked." He whined.

"You put deli meat on bread." She sighed with the slightest hint of agitation. "I make three course meals and do all the dishes too, will it kill you to put away a few plates?"

"Hey," Dean was quick to get up and move towards her. "You're doing that thing where you wig out on me. I'll clean up."

"Earlier, Sam was talking about me wasn't he? He thinks I'm depressed."

"Sam doesn't know what he's talking about. You're fine, right?" He glanced at her with slight concern. "Natalie, you'd tell us if something was bothering you."

"I'm good, Dean. There are just somedays I like to sleep in. You boys are exhausting." She gave him a weak smile as she slipped out of the room.

It didn't go unnoticed that Natalie stuck to her routine religiously for the next few days. Like clockwork, she was out of bed by six for a run and back in the bunker making coffee and breakfast in time for the boys to be getting up. She did everything she could to stop them from thinking she was anything but her happy-go-lucky self. They had enough to worry about already, adding her to the pile was just cruel.

"Hey," Dean called out to her as she balanced on her yoga matt. She tilted her head to the side, but didn't change her pose. "Come here, I want to show you something."

He was already heading back down the hall before Natalie could find her feet. Her bare feet could be heard quickly jogging to catch up with him. As she followed him into a room she'd never been in before, Natalie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Since when do we have a shooting range?" She asked taking in the long room and paper targets.

"We have everything in this place. Come here," cautiously she stepped closer to him. "You ever shoot a gun before?"

"I lived in Oklahoma, Dean. I grew up around guns." She rolled her eyes as she leaned against the low wall.

"Well this isn't exactly target practice at Outdoor World. Stand up." Letting out an exaggerated huff, Natalie stood to her full height and took the silver gun Dean placed in her hand.

"Why is it all of a sudden important that I learn to shoot a gun?" She asked as she took in the weight of the metal in her hand.

"If you're gonna keep coming out on hunts with us, you need to know how to protect yourself." He explained as he came to stand behind her. "Square your shoulders and stand with your feet apart." She did as she was told, but Dean still stepped in close behind her to adjust her stance. His hands on her hips as he gently kicked her feet into position.

"Am I holding this right?" She tilted her head slightly, feeling her cheek press against his. Dean's arms came around her, his hands covering hers to get her grip just right. When he was satisfied, he stepped back slightly.

"Hold that for a minute, get used to the feel. For the first few rounds, I'm gonna stand behind you, help with the kick back." He pressed his body against hers again, his hands covering hers as he placed her finger over the trigger. Her body moved back against his as he helped her squeeze off three rounds.

"That seems easy enough." Natalie smiled back at him.

"It won't seem that way when you're doing it on your own."

Dean stepped off to the side, nodding at her to aim for the target again. Natalie hesitated for a moment, dropping the gun to her side and shaking out her arms. This time she stood straighter taking aim easily. Dean narrowed his eyes as she took a comfortable stance and let off three more rounds barely tensing. He blinked before turning to see that she'd hit two in the chest and one in the head.

"Why didn't you tell me you could shoot?" He asked leaning against the wall with annoyance.

"You seemed pretty adamant about teaching me, who was I to say no?"

"How about a shotgun?" He asked as he pushed off the barrier and headed to the table behind them where he'd laid out a few different weapons.

"Oklahoma, Dean." She reminded him. "Let's just assume I've tried everything. Although I kind of suck with a bow, crossbow is okay but compound is a lost cause."

"Humor me." He said as he passed her the next gun before hitting a button to change out the target page.

They stayed locked away in that room for hours. It became a game to see who was a better shot. After a box of ammo was emptied, Natalie found herself sitting on the low wall, her feet swinging like a child's as she listened to Dean tell her about the first time he shot bottles off a fence with his dad.

"Who taught you?" He finally asked as he leaned against the barrier wall watching her closely as she stared down at the gun in her hand.

"A few different people. Boyfriends who thought it would be fun to hold me close and teach me something useful." She smirked. "Kind of sucked for the last guy."

"Tell me about it." He breathed out and stepped towards her to take the gun from her hands.

"Hey, I played along pretty well. I was always good at that. Bowling, pool, batting cages, and hell I let a guy teach me how to play Minnie golf. Who the hell doesn't know how to play Minnie golf?"

"So you just let those poor saps drool all over you for kicks?" He asked, moving back to the table of guns. He couldn't look at her, afraid the feeling in his gut would show on his face.

"I didn't want to hurt their egos." She said pointedly. "How would you have felt if I'd just blown you off before? I could have taken the gun and nailed six in the target before you even asked if I knew what I was doing, but that wouldn't have been very nice. You would've made that pouty face, and sulked out of the room like a kicked puppy."

"I don't pout."

Natalie couldn't hold in a laugh at the tone of his voice. She jumped off the wall and debated on taking a step towards him or the door. She jumped as he turned and took a step in her direction, not realizing she'd moved closer. His hands wrapped around her arms to steady both of them.

"Did you mean what you said to Sam? About not looking for a cure?" Her fingers ran over the raised skin on his forearm.

"It's a lost cause, Nat. I'd rather spend my time hunting, saving people."

"Okay, but what if I keep looking?"

"No," he stepped away from her.

"I don't want to hunt, Dean. This isn't a life I would wish on anyone. The long drives and cheap food, my body isn't made for this kind of life. You and Sam don't know anything else, not really. But I made a promise when you two brought me here, I'm going help get that mark off your arm."

"It's not that simple, Natalie."

"How bad can it be? You two do your brother road-trips and I hold down the fort, maybe even do some research if you need it. Seems like a pretty fair trade off."

"There's no cure…"

"You don't know that." She practically screamed. "There has to be a way to get that damn thing off your arm and finally end this nightmare. The last few hunts you dragged me to, all I could think was what happens if you die? Sam's told me everything. I know what happened the last time your heart stopped beating. The last thing I want is to see you as a demon."

"It's not gonna happen." He told her, almost pleadingly.

"How do you know that? Can you promise me that while you're out there, there's not a possibility you will end up dead?"

"That's not what…you're not understanding." He sighed as he ran his palm over his face in frustration.

"Then explain it to me."

"It's easier when you're out there with us." She stepped back into the wall and took in his words. "And I know you're thinking this has something to do with that spell or whatever you use all the time, but I barely feel it anymore, Natalie. Most of the time it's gone before you're fingers even leave my skin."

"Why didn't you say anything? Dean, I can up the dose."

"And cause you to blackout?" He scoffed. "Not gonna happen. I have it under control."

"Then why do you need me? That's what you said right, that you need me?"

"Yeah, I do." He sighed. "Can't that be enough?"

Natalie pursed her lips and watched him closely before shrugging. Pushing off the wall, she took a step towards him and placed her hand on his cheek. Dean leaned into her touch, his eyes closing slightly from the warmth. She smiled as she leaned up on her toes to press her lips against his other cheek.

"Yeah, that's enough. For now." She whispered against his ear before pulling away.

"Come on, there's one more thing I want you to see." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall.

She almost let out a laugh when he pulled her into the garage. He brought her to the Impala and finally let go of her hand. She watched with a furrowed brow as he pulled a tool box out of the trunk and set it down beside her. This time she did let out a small laugh as he popped the hood and leaned over expectantly. Biting back her smile, Natalie took a few steps towards him.

"What are we doing, Dean?"

"Teaching you something useful." He pulled her wrist, placing her in front of him. "One of your exes ever teach you how to change the oil, or a tire?"

She glanced back at him with a slow shake of her head and a small glint in her eye. "No, they didn't."

"Alright, let's start with checking the fluids."

By the time Sam came looking for the pair, Dean was laughing so hard he had to put a hand on the truck of the Impala to stop from falling over, and Natalie was covered in a dark liquid that coated her from head to toe. She was wiping her face with a rag and glaring at the older brother.

"What happened?" Sam's voice held an amused tone as his gaze moved between the two.

"He forgot a step." Natalie practically growled. As she moved to wipe the skin on her chest. Sam let out another laugh as he saw his brother do a double take as she placed the rag against the exposed tops of her breasts. "I mean, changing the oil should kind of begin with grab a pan." She mumbled angrily.

"He's teaching you to change the oil?"

"And doing a really shitty job." She sighed, throwing down the rag and placing her hands on her hips. "Is auto-shop over, Professor Winchester?"

"What are you talking about, all the oil's on you? We got to put more in." He gave her a smile and shook the bottle he held in his hand. "Let's go, sweetheart. Shake it off."

Sam sat back and watched as the two leaned over the hood. Dean had his arm around her waist, hand resting on the metal by her hip as she stood on a small stool in order to lean over the hood. He was speaking softly to her, explaining what she needed to do. Sam couldn't believe he was letting her touch his baby.

He'd been watching his brother pick up women in bars for years, he'd even seen him in a relationship however brief if was, but there was something different about what was happening in front of him now. Sam could almost swear he was watching his brother fall in deep with this girl. He couldn't bring himself to say love, or even think it, but the way his brother was looking at Natalie there was definitely something deeper going on than the normal attraction.

"Nice work," he smiled at her as he helped her to step off the stool. Natalie beamed up at him and before Dean could react her arms were wrapped around his neck pressing her body against his. Sam was surprised to see Dean actually move into her embrace, tightening his grip around her waist slightly.

"You're both going to be dead before I do that again." She said as she stepped away from him, smiling as she saw the stains on the front of his shirt. "I'm going to clean up and then start on dinner."

"I got it," Dean told her causing her to pause in the path to the door.

"Please, tell me you were talking about dinner and not my shower."

"Dinner, but if you need help…" Natalie gave him a warning glare. "How do burgers sound?" She nodded before continuing through the door, leaving Sam smiling dumbly at his big brother.

"Really?" Sam laughed as he slipped off the hood of the old car he was perched on. "Don't you remember what we were talking about yesterday, man? You're getting close to her, you like her and she's going to leave if you don't tell her."

"She knows we need her here." Dean sighed as he placed the hood of the Impala back down and returned the tools.

"To get rid of the mark."

"Don't worry about it, Sammy. She's not going anywhere."


	8. Chapter 8

Natalie tried to not feel uncomfortable as she stood in the back of the small space. She hated tagging along to these interviews, but lately it had been more difficult to convince Dean to leave her behind. Instead, she put on her ridiculously stiff agent wannabe pantsuit and followed whatever lead the brothers' decided. At least she'd perfected the synchronized badge display.

Her watchful eyes stayed on the other men in the room, trying to get a read on everyone surrounding her in order to sniff out any potential threats. It was a little disappointing to see that all of them seemed as baffled and terrified as she felt. A death row inmate vanished into the night, it could be witchcraft (another reason Dean insisted she be there), but more important was the idea that a killer was on the loose. Demons and monsters, she'd reluctantly gotten used to, but humans who wanted to kill for no apparent reason were still terrifying.

"Let's go," Dean practically growled after leaving the warden and guards. Sam followed after his brother, leaving Natalie to give a weak smile to the remaining men before following like the good Winchester pet she'd turned into.

"You know who that was?" Sam asked as the three slid back into the Impala.

Dean avoided looking at his brother, instead glancing back and making eye contact with Natalie in the rearview mirror. She was surprised by the dip her stomach took at the look in his eyes.

"It's Cain." He said. Natalie reached out and gave his shoulder a squeeze, her fingers subtly slipped beneath the collar of his jacket as she tried to soothe the waves of anger washing over him.

After changing at the motel, the three started their drive back to the bunker. Natalie made herself comfortable in the back seat. She knew she would have a lot of work ahead of her. As hard as she tried, she couldn't shut her mind off enough to fall into a deep sleep. Her eyes were staring unseeingly at the leather of the front seat. A part of her was jealous as she heard Sam softly snoring from the passenger side. Her vision was suddenly snapped into focus as Dean hung a hand over the back of the seat.

"Your arm will fall asleep." She said softly. Already reaching towards him, she laced her fingers through his. "It's going be okay."

All he did was give her fingers a squeeze.

"Can we pull over soon? I'm hungry, and I know you could eat." She let out a small laugh.

"Sure, I need to try Cas again anyway." The soft tone of his voice, was enough to tell her that the spell was having the desired effect on him. Her fingers continued to move softly over the back of his hand.

When they finally stopped, Sam was already deep into research mode. Natalie faltered slightly as she got out of the car, but played it off as having stiff legs from the drive. She knew Dean didn't want Sam knowing how often she was helping him keep the mark under control. Dean caught her, pulling her into his side as they moved towards the small food cart.

"You feeling alright?" He asked as they stood in line.

"Sure, just a little tired and starving now."

"Order whatever you want, it's on me." He said, squeezing her tightly to his side. Natalie actually felt safe with his arm wrapped around her. She circled both her arms around his waist, beneath his jacket as she let herself be held up by him for a few moments. He surprised her by placing a kiss on the top of her head and gripping her tightly. He'd been doing that a lot more lately, finding little excused to touch her or place a chaste kiss on her head, always whenever Sam wasn't around.

To the normal observer they probably just looked like a normal couple, but she knew they were a million times more complicated than that. She could feel the buildup of tension in his muscles. With a small sigh she found her footing once again before beginning to move her fingers across his back.

"Hey," his voice vibrated through her body from their close proximity. "I'm good."

"You're a liar." She looked up at him knowingly. "It's kind of my job to keep you in check."

"Eat first."

Natalie nodded as she began to pull away from him. Dean chuckled lightly as he kept his tight hold on her. She didn't comment on it and neither did he. It was a new normal that she was trying to adjust to. She only slid out of his embrace to take the food she'd ordered. Dean couldn't hold in a laugh as he watched her dig into the meal before they'd even began walking back to the car.

"You better leave mine alone." He said pointedly as he held the phone to his ear.

"I make no promises." She slid into the back of Impala.

Silently, she finished her food before passing the other half to Dean as Sam went over what he'd learned about the escaped convict. As she sat there, a tightness started to form in her chest and slowly sink down to her stomach. Nothing good was going to happen if Cain was involved. Selfishly, she couldn't stop thinking about what this meant for her.

Back at the bunker, Natalie grabbed what supplies she needed. A large map splayed across the floor as she let the wax drip over the paper. Sam took his usual spot at one of the tables, while Dean disappeared to call Cas one more time. Anxiety was eating away at her, but she tried to stay focused on her mission. Cain was too powerful for her locator spell, but this Tolliver guy was nothing more than a human scumbag.

"Damnit," her soft curse had Sam glancing down at her. She wobbled on her feet as she stood from the cold floor, the back of her hand pressed to her nose.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam moved quickly to her side, guiding her to a nearby chair.

"I can't find him." She choked out as she tilted her head back. "I need a bigger map."

"What the hell happened?" Dean rushed into the room, coming to a stop beside Natalie as Sam went to find something to stop the bleeding.

"I'm fine. Give me a few minutes and I can try again."

"No way, you're done." Dean reached for the towel Sam had and helped her place it over her nose.

"This is what I'm here for. You wanted me to help you find Cain, that's what I'm doing. If I can't do this, then why the hell am I still here?"

Natalie pushed away from the two men in front of her. Seeing the worry and pity in their eyes only made the anger in her grow. Sam glanced at his brother, playing off whatever move Dean would make. Natalie was ready to kick and scream if she had too, but she felt the blood begin to trickle out of her nose once more.

"What happened?" The three turned as they heard Cas make his way down the stairs into the bunker.

"I'm fine." The blonde nearly growled as she wiped harshly at her nose before returning to the floor and her map.

"Don't bother trying to locate him." Cas spoke softly as he stood over her.

"I can't find Cain, but I can search for Tolliver."

"No, you can't. He's dead. Cain's killed dozens of people, families."

That had Sam moving towards his computer. His fingers flying over the keys as Cas and Dean waited. Once again Natalie found herself feeling useless. This was the moment they've been waiting for, what they'd kept her around for, and now she was just a girl bleeding on their floor.

Carefully, she pushed herself to her unstable feet before moving towards her room. She needed to clean up and get some of her strength back if she wanted to be any kind of helpful in this upcoming fight.

After washing her face and changing her shirt she was making her way back to the library when Sam's voice just a few doors down drew her attention.

"Dean, wielding the blade against Cain himself. Win or lose you may never come back from that fight."

Natalie stood just outside Dean's door, barely visible behind Sam and Cas'. Her eyes locked with Dean's.

"I know."

Sam turned to leave, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her away with him. It felt like a protective move. If Sam didn't want her near Dean right now, then things were worse than she could imagine.

"You're afraid." She whispered.

"This is Cain, Natalie. This isn't our run of the mill demon."

"No, I mean Dean. You're afraid of Dean." He stopped and looked down at her, the worry and fear in his eyes did nothing for the rise of panic in her veins. "How bad is this going to get, Sam?"

"I don't know."

He left her standing in the hall as Cas moved passed them. She watched as they began to discuss strategy before Dean joined them announcing Crowely would meet them with the blade.

Natalie sat on the table in the war room as the three men discussed how to fight Cain. She cradled her head in her hands, long curls covering her face.

"Okay, this is crazy." She finally spoke up. "This is Cain, the father of murder and he's kind of super evil. Do you really think you can just stroll in there and kill him?"

"If I have the blade, I can try." Dean said, not meeting her eyes. "We need to get out of here. Natalie, hang tight."

"No," she said jumping off the table. "You need me there, Dean."

"Not this time. Stay here, it's the safest place. Don't let anyone in unless its Sam or Cas." He told her.

"Or you." Natalie stated. "You're coming back, Dean."

"Maybe, but it might not be all me." He took a step towards her and placed a hand hesitantly on her arm. "I can't have you there. Suppressing the mark isn't going to help, I need it this time."

"He could kill you, all of you." She said glancing at the other two men. "I'd be all alone." She whispered, gripping his hand.

"We'll be back, Natalie." Sam tried to reassure her, earning a thankful glance from his brother.

She pulled her eyes away from Dean to glance at Sam. The look on his face was all she needed to know he was lying. Her eyes stung with tears as she turned back to Dean. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt it begin to tremble. She shook her head focusing on everything that could go wrong and took a step back from him, leaning back against the table as they collected their things.

Normally she wasn't the pessimistic type, but this moment seemed to be the worst she'd experienced so far. In the matter of a few hours she could be completely alone, abandoned. Her head began to ache as she tried to pin down the moment that these men became he family. Their lives were now completely intertwined with hers.

Sliding away from the table, she watched Castiel and Sam head for the stairs. She ran her hands through her hair before sweeping them across the table and spraying whatever research and books were left behind across the floor. A strangled scream escaped her and Dean hesitated on the steps. He sighed before turning back. He moved towards her, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her neck. She fisted the back of his shirt as she held onto him tightly.

"Please let me come with you." She pleaded against his neck. "There has to be a way for me to help you."

"No way," he sighed. "I'm not letting you that close to Cain. And I don't know what will happen when I get the blade."

"But you're coming back, right?" She asked as she pulled away.

Dean let his hands slip loosely around her neck. Staring at her big brown eyes and tear stained face, he knew he couldn't lie to her. Instead he brought her closer, pressing his lips to hers. It was painfully chaste. Natalie let out a small whimper as she moved her lips more firmly against his. Dean pulled her closer twisting his fingers through her tousled curls. Her hand reached up to pull him close, her fingers pressed into the flesh of his neck. That touch had him pulling away, he held her hands by her sides.

"Remember, only Sam." He said, leaning forward to kiss her one last time.

"You better come back, Winchester." She breathed as he moved away from her. The echo of the door closing behind them allowed Natalie to let the first wave of sobs escape her lungs.

SPN*spn*SPN

Natalie ran from the depths of the bunker when she heard noises from the garage. She had a gun held out in front of her waiting for whoever was about to walk out of the door. The sight of a weary looking Sam had her exhaling heavily. The tension that had been holding her together all night gave. For a moment, she allowed herself to crumble, dropping the gun on the table and letting out a choked sob. Her watery eyes glanced up again as Sam made his way down the steps.

"Dean?" She found her footing and moved to meet him halfway up the stairs.

"He just needs a minute, Nat." Sam reached out for her, turning her to move back down the steps.

"Cain, was he there? Is he dead? What the hell happened, Sam?"

"It's been a long night, Natalie. We'll talk about it in the morning."

She stood there as he placed a quick kiss to the top of her head, his hand pushing her gently in the direction of her room. He was shaken, and if Sam Winchester was shaken then she could only image what happened tonight. She reminded herself that he was okay, and Dean was there with him and that was all that mattered. Her boys had come home, a little worse for the wear but in one piece none the less.

"Goodnight, Sam. I'll see you in the morning." He gave her a weak smile before disappearing down the hallway.

For a few more minutes, she watched the door to the garage. The reasonable part of her brain knew that he was waiting. Dean knew she'd stand here waiting for him. It took all her willpower to make her feet carry her back through the bunker. In a daze, she went through her nightly routine, falling into her bed and letting the exhaustion of the last few days take over.

Dean found himself standing in Natalie's doorway. For the last three hours, he'd been keeping himself busy. He'd made sure Sam headed into the bunker first and waited for the text to come through saying Natalie was asleep. It was probably cruel, but he couldn't see her like this. She shouldn't have to see him like this, not again. The last time it was weeks before she could look at him without flinching.

But the pull was there. The need to be comforted. It wasn't about the spell or even the mark, he just needed to feel her next to him. To know that she was safe.

"Hey," Dean spoke softly as he slipped onto Natalie's bed. She hummed against her pillow, snuggling deeper into her mattress. He reached out, brushing her hair away from her face, his fingers moved against the smooth skin of her neck. The contact woke her slightly. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled sleepily at him.

"Dean," she breathed out. Reaching behind her, she gripped his hand and wrapped his arm around her tucking their entwined hands against her heart. He melded against her, no space left between his chest and her back. His left arm slipped under her neck, holding her closely. "I'm glad you're home."


End file.
